


Nine Months (to a whole new life)

by ap_91



Series: Love at First Sight [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, WayHaught Fluff, pregnant Waverly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-08-09 05:31:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7788613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ap_91/pseuds/ap_91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waverly is engaged and ready for a baby. But Champ is, well, Champ. (Don't worry, she cuts him loose pretty quickly). Enter Officer Heart Eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fic prompt from tumblr user itswayhaughtinhere
> 
> This is my first fic. I'm not sure if I got the characters' voices correct. Let me know if you have any suggestions. 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated :) Might need to up the rating later. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Waverly watched the youngest Smith kid, sitting in the highchair in the corner of Shorty’s. The Smith’s had named her Kate, after her grandmother. Mr. Smith was imitating a plane as he fed his daughter dinner. Kate giggled loudly when the pureed food dribbled down her chin. Waverly smiled. The giggle was so sweet and innocent. Kate banged her tiny fists against the table.

She continued cleaning the bar as she moved down closer to where Champ was nursing a beer. His fourth of the evening.

“Hi, babe. How’s it going?” He smiled at her. His eyes were already glassy. He reached over the bar and kissed her, holding her against him when she tried to step back.

Waverly gestured towards where Kate sat, now laughing as her father tickled her. “I want one.”

Champ looked over his shoulder to see what Waverly was talking about. “I thought we agreed to wait until after we were married and settled to talk about that.”

“We’re already settled. We’ve lived in our apartment upstairs for a few years already. We’re getting married in less than a year. If we start trying now, maybe we can have one a little sooner.”

Champ looked over at Kate again. She had stuck her hand in her dad’s beer. Champ sneered. “You really want one?”

“I really want one.” She tilted her head and smiled at him.

“Sure, why not? Let’s have a kid. Let’s get started on that as soon as your shift ends.” He winked.

“Ew, Chump. Thanks for putting that image in my head,” Wynonna said, stepping up behind him.

“Go away, Wynonna.” He picked up his beer again. “We’re talking here.”

“Save it. Waverly, can I talk to you for a minute?” She cocked her head towards the back storeroom. “Alone.”

“I’m working, Wy.”

“Baby girl,” she said, crossing her arms, “Dolls sent me.”

Waverly nodded in acknowledgement. She pointed to the other end of the bar, where there were no customers. “I’ll see you after my shift, Champ.”

_________

“You okay, baby girl? You don’t look so good.” They were sitting in the BBD office a few weeks later. Waverly sat at the long table, books open all around her. Wynonna was watching her, while she sat with her feet on the table, eating a donut. Dolls was across the room, doing something on his computer, while Doc sat next to him cleaning his pistol.  

“I’m fine,” Waverly quickly replied.

“You’re sweating,” Wynonna said. Dolls kept the room cool and no one ever sweat in the room unless they were training. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! I’m fine, Wy. Leave me alone.”

“Only I’m allowed to be grumpy this early in the morning.”

“Not all of us are already drunk, Wynonna.” Waverly retorted, burying her head back in the pile of books.

“Leave the girl alone, Wynonna.” Doc put the pistol down on the table. “I had to help her put Champ to bed last night. She is probably tired.”

Waverly aimed a look at Doc as Wynonna went off on how irresponsible “Chump” is. “Wynonna,” she pleaded. “Please just stop.” The room began to spin. Her heart began racing. Waverly pressed a hand to her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

She felt something cool and heard someone shouting her name. She blinked. The first thing Waverly saw was Wynonna’s boot next to her face and the floor of the BBD office. The first thing she felt was Wynonna’s hand on her cheek.

“Waves, you okay?” Wynonna put her hand on Waverly’s shoulder to keep her still when Waverly began to stand up.

“I’m fine, Wynonna. Let me sit up.”

“I’m taking you home.” Wynonna motioned to Dolls. Before Waverly could say another word, Dolls picked her up from the floor and started carrying her out of the office. He carried her past the new deputy, who stood up when they passed, gaping at the scene.

“Wynonna, what the hell? Is she okay?” she called out.

“Later, Officer,” Wynonna called back, holding up her hand. Wynonna followed Dolls out to the parking lot.

Wynonna dropped Waverly at her apartment, leaving only after Waverly insisted that Champ was home and would take care of her. Wynonna refrained from saying she didn’t believe that Champ was capable of taking care of Waverly.

Champ wasn’t there when Waverly walked into the apartment. She lay face down on the bed and slept until she heard the front door unlock.

“Hey, babe, what’s for dinner?” He dropped down on the edge of the bed to take his boots off. Waverly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and turned over.

“I’ll make something.” She stood up and started walking towards the kitchen. Champ grabbed her arm and pulled her down in his lap, pressing kisses to her neck. She could smell the beer on his breath. “If you don’t let me up, we won’t be able to eat anything.”

They shared a meal at the small table, Champ talking about his day, never letting Waverly get a word in. It was how they typically spent their time together. When they finished, Waverly began washing the dishes. Champ stood behind her, his arms wrapped tight around her waist.

“Champ, can you just step back and let me finish this?”

“When you’re done, we can shut that brain of yours back off.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder before stepping back.

Waverly wiped her hands on the towel and turned towards Champ. “Look, we should talk.”

Champ was lying on the bed, propped up on his elbows. “Yeah. I saw that kid you were so fascinated by again. She was crying at Shorty’s while I was trying to have a beer. She wouldn’t stop crying. Wave, I’m not having kids if they’re going to cry.”

“Champ-“

“Look, babe, I don’t want kids. It’s fine, just the two of us. We’re happy, huh, huh?” He stood up and kissed her cheek. “Just the two of us?” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “We can move to Buenos Aires and open a bar down there, huh? I’ve always wanted that for us.”

“Champ. I don’t want to be a barmaid in Buenos Aires.”  

“Why not? You can run the bar and we’ll be happy.”

“Champ, I’m pregnant!” Waverly screamed. She pushed out of his arms. She suddenly felt extremely warm in Champ’s arms, his heat suffocating her.

“How sure are you?”

“I’m pregnant, Champ.”

“Well, we have options.”

Waverly’s eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips. “Don’t you dare, Champ. Don’t you dare go there.”

“Babe, we can’t have a kid. I don’t want one.”

“And what about what I want? I’m ready for this baby, Champ.”

“Well, I’m not. We’ve got plenty of times for kids. We’re getting married, for christ’s sake.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t. We’re done, Champ.” She nods her head. “Yeah, we’re done.” She pulled the ring off her finger – cubic zirconia, she wasn’t afraid to admit now – and placed it in his hands. “I’m going to the homestead. Pack your stuff and leave by the end of tomorrow.”

“Waverly.” His fingers curled around the ring. “Just take the night and cool off. I’ll be here waiting when you come back.”

“Please just move your stuff out by tomorrow.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Waverly sighed and grabbed her stuff off the hook by the door. She slammed the door behind her. As she walked out to her car, she called Wynonna to tell her she was on her way. Wynonna was still at the BBD office, so Waverly told her she would pick her up before going to the homestead.

Waverly made it to the end of the block before her emotions got the better of her. She didn’t even know why she was crying. Breaking her engagement with Champ actually felt like a relief. The more she had thought about their life together, the more she realized she already had a child – his name was Champ Hardy.

She was so blinded by her tears that she didn’t see the deer run out into the road until it was too late. She swerved to try and avoid hitting it.


	2. Chapter 2

Someone was saying her name. Repeatedly. Waverly blinked and shook her head. It pounded and she lifted her hand to press her palm to her forehead. Her vision blurred and she feared she was going to blackout again. 

“Waverly, can you hear me?” 

Waverly turned towards the voice. She could see a shock of red hair but couldn’t make out the face. Or the voice. She lowered her hand and saw the blood coating her fingers. “What the -”

“Waverly, my name is Officer Haught. Nicole. You can call me Nicole. Can you hear me?” Officer Haught put her hand on the steering wheel to lean in closer. The cut on Waverly head wasn’t deep. She blew out of breath. She didn’t need to rush her to the hospital, if that was her only injury. 

Waverly nodded, her vision finally clearing. She looked at the Officer, whose body was close in the small space of the car. “How did you know my name?” she whispered. Her breath hitched. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her head or because of the officer’s close proximity to her. 

Nicole straightened, stepping back from the car. “You’re a popular girl around here.”

“It all in the smile and wave.” Waverly gave her a tiny smile. 

Nicole stood there for a minute, not responding. She had never gotten the sense that Waverly was unhappy. She was usually smiling when she came into the station, arms full of books and her coffee mug. Nicole’s hands came up to rest on her belt, remembering why she was there. “Here, let me help you out of the car so I can fix up your head.” She offered her hand to Waverly. When she took it, Nicole felt the warmth immediately shoot up to her elbow. She dropped her eyes so Waverly couldn’t see the blush rising up her neck. 

She helped Waverly over to the police car. Waverly leaned against it while Nicole took her first aid kit out of the trunk. Waverly sat on the hood of the car when Nicole laid the kit on the hood. Nicole used a little water on a cotton ball to clean up the blood on Waverly’s face. She took out the antiseptic and cotton. Waverly hissed when Nicole pressed it to her forehead. 

“Sorry,” Nicole said, gently. She blew on the cut to help lessen the sting. She bandaged the cut and put the kit back in the trunk. Waverly was still sitting on the hood when Nicole returned to her. She leaned an arm against the car. “So, you wanna tell me what happened?” 

Waverly blew out a breath. “There was a deer.” 

“You hit a deer?” Nicole stood up straight, looking around. It was dark out, though, and she couldn’t see much beyond what was illuminated by the cars. 

“No. I nearly did though. I wasn’t paying attention.” Waverly sighed and closed her eyes. 

Nicole began to fear that maybe Waverly needed more medical attention than she initially thought. “Waverly, are you alright?” 

Waverly shook her head. She opened her eyes and looked down at her hands balled in her lap. 

“What’s wrong? Did you hurt something other than your head?” Nicole reached into her car for the radio. 

“Before. Before the accident, Champ did something to me.” 

Nicole dropped the radio. Son of a bitch. Her heartbeat began to race and she found herself actively ordering herself to relax the fists she had made. “Did he hurt you, Waverly?” She’d be damned if she’d let that man-child hurt her. She’d seen the way he acted around town, the spoiled brat who thought he owned Waverly. But she never thought he would hurt Waverly. If the thought had ever crossed her mind, she would put a stop to it, she thought to herself. 

Waverly felt the tears fill her eyes. She lowered her head. She didn’t cry in front of other people. Tears were for those moments she was safely alone. But something about the officer softened her. She felt the first tear roll down her cheek. And then she felt a hand on top of her own. 

Waverly looked up. Nicole was standing right next to her now, one hand resting on her belt and the other resting on top of Waverly’s hand. “Hey,” she said softly. “I’m right here.”

Waverly didn’t know why but at Nicole’s words, the tears began flowing faster. Her chest tightened and she couldn’t stop her breath from hitching. She turned her hand over under Nicole’s and interlaced their fingers. The warmth spread up her arm as she tried to level her breathing. 

Nicole placed her other hand on Waverly’s shoulder - the hand that wasn’t currently being tightly grasped by one Ms. Waverly Earp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's not very long but I wanted to get something out and this was all I had a chance to write. I will finish writing this one day in the near future - so just stick with me.


	3. Chapter 3

Nicole let Waverly cry for as long as she needed. When the small woman's body stopped shaking, Nicole gently squeezed Waverly shoulder. "Let's go. I want to make sure you don't have any other injuries." 

Waverly slowly nodded. She reached up and wiped roughly at her cheeks. "I'm sorry." 

"Waverly, you have nothing to be sorry for." She helped Waverly down off the hood and into her squad car. "I'll just grab your keys from the car before we go." She disappeared towards Waverly's jeep before sliding into the driver's seat of the squad car. 

Waverly stared out the window silently as they drove towards the hospital. Nicole could have used her siren to get them there faster but she didn't think Waverly would appreciate that. She did, however, think Waverly would prefer if they used the side entrance to the hospital so fewer people would see them. Nicole quickly explained what happened to the first nurse she saw. She helped Waverly out of the car and watched her walk away with the nurse. She wasn't sure if Waverly's fainting earlier had anything to do with the crash but she wanted to make sure. 

She pulled out her phone and called Wynonna. When the line connected, all she could hear was loud music. Wynonna was at Shorty's.

"Officer Dimples! What can I do for ya?" Wynonna slurred. 

"Wynonna, are you drunk?"

"Nah. Just had half a bottle. Not even a bit tipsy yet." 

Nicole sighed. "Wynonna, listen to me. Are you there alone?"

"Ummm, Doc's here."

"Is Doc sober? Can I talk to him?" There was some rustling on the other end and Wynonna yelled for Doc without moving the phone away, causing Nicole to scrunch her face at the volume. 

"Officer Haught?" Doc asked.

"Doc, you sober?" 

"Yes, ma'am."

"Listen, I'm with Waverly. We're at the hospital. She was in a crash and had a small cut on her head. I'm going to wait here with her and drive her to the homestead when she's finished. Can you please get Wynonna home and make sure she doesn't try to come down here?"

"Well now, you know that no one can control Wynonna."

"Doc," Nicole started. 

"Yes, yes, Officer. I'll get her home and make sure she doesn't try anything."

"Thank you." Nicole put her phone back into her pocket and went to find some coffee. She wasn't sure how long Waverly would be in there but she knew hospitals and she knew nothing ever happened quickly in hospitals. She settled in near the nurse's station once she got her coffee. 

A couple hours later, a doctor came over to talk to her. 

"They're fine. Other than the bump on Waverly's head, no other signs of injury."

"They?" Nicole asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, I thought you know. Waverly's pregnant." The young doctor sighed. The look on the officer's face was one of disbelief. He hated having to tell people news they didn't want to hear. "We confirmed it with a blood draw tonight." 

"Is she done? Can I see her?" Nicole was anxious to get to Waverly and offer whatever comfort she could. She didn't even know if Waverly wanted comfort from her. 

"Yeah, she's right over here." The doctor led the way down the hall towards the small room where Waverly was sitting on the bed. She had a bandage on her head. Other than that, she looked okay, just a little tired. 

"Waverly?" Nicole said softly. Waverly looked up at her. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Home?" 

"I'll take you to the homestead. I already called Wynonna, she should be home by now." Nicole offered her hand to help Waverly stand. Waverly took it, tightening her hold when she felt dizzy. "Are you okay?"

Waverly squeezed her eyes shut for a minute, focusing on the feel of her hand in Nicole's. She opened her eyes. "Yeah, let's go." 

\------------

Wynonna was thrilled to find out there was going to be a baby Earp running around the homestead. She was less thrilled that the baby was part Champ Hardy. She started getting up early and making Waverly breakfast so she wouldn't have to eat donuts at the station. She kept saying, "Kids can't survive on donuts and whiskey" even though Waverly didn't drink whiskey. Wynonna assumed the baby would take after their auntie in that respect. 

Waverly was a little freaked out at first. Wynonna wasn't exactly the most responsible person. But here she was, cooking nutritional food, doing the laundry, picking up Waverly's boots from the living room because she didn't want Waverly to trip over them. 

And then Waverly was just amused at how endearing it was. Wynonna was taking care of her in the way she knew how to. 

Every so often, Waverly would catch Wynonna looking at her. When she asked about it, Wynonna said was thinking about how weird it was that there were three of them there right now but really only two people standing there. And she was trying to figure out if the baby could hear her when she cursed. Waverly assured her she - Waverly was sure the baby was a girl but she hadn't told anyone yet - couldn't hear Wynonna's cursing. 

The morning of Waverly's 15 week check-up, she woke up to a silent house. Usually she could smell the breakfast going or hear the coffee pot dripping or Wynonna yelling or kicking the stove. But today there was silence. 

Waverly made her way downstairs, pulling a blanket with her. The December chill was creeping through the walls of the homestead. 

The kitchen was empty, as was the living room, and Wynonna's room. She walked back to the kitchen for a glass of water. That's when she saw it. The note. She pulled it from the fridge and stared down at it. 

Waverly,  
Dolls won't tell me anything other than we have to leave. He said I shouldn't worry and that you'll be safe. He wouldn't tell me how long we're gonna be gone.   
Call Nicole. Don't go alone today.   
I'll call you as soon as I can.  
I love you. Take care of the peanut.   
See you soon,  
Wynonna.


	4. Chapter 4

Waverly ran her finger over the top of the tea mug in front of her. Wynonna’s note lay on the table next to the mug. Where the hell were they? Dolls knew how important today was for Waverly and Wynonna. She looked around the kitchen. It was so quiet without Wynonna there. Too quiet. They were going to find out today whether the baby in a few months would be named Wyatt or Winnie. (Even though Waverly already knew it was going to be a Winnie.)

 

 She looked down at the note again. Nicole. Waverly smiled and shook her head. Nicole had been checking in regularly - coming into Shorty's for lunch or dropping by the homestead in the evenings after her shift. She usually brought something for Waverly; a flower, some new vitamin she'd read about, anti-nausea pills. Waverly thought it was nice of her to help out. One of the other deputies told Waverly that Nicole had been keeping a close eye on Champ.

 

Waverly reached over and pulled the phone closer to her. She dialed the number she knew by heart and waited as it rang. No answer.

 

"Hi, it's Waverly," she said to the answered machine. "I'm finding out the sex of the baby today and I thought you might want to come with me. My appointment's at 2:15 so if you're free, I'll meet you at the doctor's office at 2."

 

Waverly hung up and put the phone back on the receiver. What the hell had she been thinking? Why did she do that? Pregnancy was dulling her senses. She sighed before lifting her tea mug again. Well at least Wynonna would be glad to know she wasn't going alone today. She wouldn't be glad to know that Waverly had just invited Champ, though.

__________

 

A few hours later, across town, Nicole watched Champ play pool at Shorty's. It wasn't even 2 o'clock yet and the guy had already drank four beers. And that was just since she'd stepped into Shorty's for lunch. She had hoped to see Waverly today but Gus told her Waverly took the day off to go to the doctor's. Nicole tried to be as nonchalant as possible when asking about the appointment. Gus was uncharacteristically talkative today, telling Nicole that Waverly was going for a sonogram to find out the sex of the baby.

 

Nicole stayed until 2, when she needed to get back to the station for some paperwork. She waved goodbye to Gus and gave Champ one last look before leaving. As she was getting into her squad car, she saw Waverly's red jeep coming down the street. Waverly stopped halfway up the block and parked her car. Nicole closed her car door and started walking down the street.

 

She waved when Waverly looked up and spotted her. Waverly smiled and waved back.

 

"Hi," Nicole said when she reached Waverly's Jeep.

 

"Hi, Nicole. What're you doing out here?"

 

"Just leaving Shorty's. I was gonna head back to the station but I saw you," she said, as if that explained everything.

 

"I have a doctor's appointment."

 

"The sonogram, right? I hope you don't mind," she said when Waverly's eyes widened, "Gus told me."

 

"Right, right. No, it's okay."

 

"So where's Wynonna? Doesn't she usually drive you for these appointments?" Nicole imagined Wynonna passed out drunk on the couch.

 

"I don't know exactly. She and Dolls had to go out of town."

 

Nicole raised her eyebrow. As far as she knew, Wynonna didn't really do much, other than sit around the station eating donuts and watching Dolls and Waverly work. She couldn't imagine a place more important than being here with Waverly right now.

 

"So you're going alone, then?"

 

Waverly looked down at her shoes, studying the dried dirt on the toes. "Not exactly," she murmured, so quietly Nicole almost missed it. Waverly seemed almost, embarrassed(?) to say she wasn't going alone. "I asked Champ if he wanted to come."

 

Nicole put her hand on Waverly's shoulder. She'd never asked Waverly about Champ and they hadn't talked about him since the night she found Waverly on the side of the road. But she also knew, from Wynonna, that Champ hadn't really bothered to try talking to Waverly since she broke up with him.

 

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. Waverly looked up at her.

 

"I don't know. I hoped he would want to come. Maybe sometimes I hope he might change his mind and want this baby. But I left the message this morning and he hasn't called me back yet."

 

Nicole didn't want to tell Waverly that Champ was busy getting drunk when he should have been here. She didn't want to be the person to disappoint Waverly. She didn't want to be the person who put _that_ look in Waverly's eyes again.

 

But she had to be. She squeezed Waverly's shoulder.

 

"I don't think he's coming, Waves." She looked over her shoulders towards Shorty's. Waverly followed the direction of Nicole's eyes.

 

She nodded. "I know. I just thought," she shook her head. "I don't know what I was thinking." She looked up at Nicole. "Would you go in with me?"

 

Nicole looked back at Waverly. She was still trying to control her anger when Waverly asked the question. Her focus was still on not killing Champ. But Waverly's soft question brought her back to the present.

 

"Are you sure? This is a big day for you."

 

"Of course. You've been there for me since the beginning, Nicole. I'd love for you to be next to me when I find out if it's going to be Wyatt or Winnie."

 

"Winnie? Really, Waverly?" Nicole laughed.

 

"Is that a yes?"

 

"Of course." Waverly's grin spread as she grabbed Nicole's hand from her shoulder and dragged her into the office behind her.

 

They sat next to each other in the waiting room - Waverly flipping through a magazine, Nicole trying not to feel overwhelmed by what was happening. When the nurse called Waverly back, Nicole hesitated but Waverly grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room with her. Nicole turned around while Waverly undressed. Once Waverly was comfortable on the observation table, Nicole took a seat in the chair next to her head. Waverly grasped Nicole's hand tightly throughout the appointment and Nicole tried to contain her smile. 

 

But when the doctor told them the sex of the baby and Waverly excitedly whispered, "I knew it was a girl," Nicole couldn't hold it in anymore. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Waverly's cheek, smiling like an idiot, and squeezing the hand in hers. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do we think of the name? I definitely have an adorable plan to change the name if someone can help me come up with anything better ;) I would think Waverly would want to keep up the family tradition of a 'W' name but you never know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out quickly, so apologies for any typos

"How's the dizziness, Waverly?" the doctor asked. 

"Still lightheaded almost every time I stand up. But I've been using some of those techniques you showed me and I've only passed out once since the last appointment." At this, Nicole looked up at Waverly. Waverly's pregnancy had been difficult so far. She'd known about the nausea and the extreme tiredness. But she didn't know Waverly had continued passing out after the first couple of weeks. She unconsciously squeezed Waverly's hand a little harder. 

Waverly looked down at her when she felt the pressure on her hand increase. Nicole was looking up at her with her eyebrows pulled together. Waverly gave her a small smile. 

"Are you getting dizzy during sex?"

Waverly whipped her head up to look at the doctor. Her cheeks flushed. "Um no." 

"Alright, well you can continue having sex for the time being." The doctor looked between the two women. "But there may come a point when I have to recommend that you stop. In certain cases, it's been known to cause problems or early labor. But we'll reevaluate that in a couple months. But as long as you aren't feeling dizzy and having any other complications, go right ahead ladies."

"Oh wait, no. We're not - " Nicole said

"No need to hide anything in here, Deputy. No one knows anything we talk about in this room."

"Right. Okay. Well is there anything else, doctor?" Waverly rushed. "We have somewhere to be." 

"If there's no other problems, you're good to go. Give us a call if anything changes. Otherwise we'll see you at the next appointment. I think Wynonna already called earlier this week and scheduled it." 

"Great! See you next time." 

"Alright. Well, have a lovely day then, ladies." The doctor picked up her clipboard and walked out. 

"I'll just, um. Well, I'll just wait outside until you're ready." Nicole quickly followed after the doctor, pulling the door closed behind her. 

Waverly hopped off the table and grabbed her clothes. She slipped them on quickly, leaving the exam gown on the table. She shook her head when her vision started to blur. She pressed a hand to her head and leaned against the table, closing her eyes. 

"Wave, you alright in there?" Nicole asked, knocking softly on the door. 

"Nicole," she said quietly. Nicole peeked her head into the room. Waverly was standing in the middle, leaning her entire upper body on the table. She crossed the room quickly, putting her hands on Waverly's waist to take her weight. 

"What's wrong? Should I call the doctor?" 

Waverly shook her head. She fisted her hand in the front of Nicole's shirt. "Just, no, just wait." She started to slump over. 

"Waverly, please. Let me call the doctor back." Nicole didn't know what was happening but she didn't like it. 

Waverly took a few deep breaths, focusing on the feel of Nicole's hands on her. The room slowly came back into focus and she was able to stand up straight again. "I'm okay," she whispered. "I'm fine." 

Nicole dropped her hands from Waverly's waist and stepped back. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Waverly said, not looking up at her. 

"Right." Well this is awkward. "Okay well are you ready to go?" Waverly had yet to look up at Nicole. "I'll drive you home. You shouldn't be driving."

"Don't do that. That's what Champ used to do. Tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing," she clarified. She picked up her bag and walked out of the room. 

What the actual hell? Nicole followed after her, catching up as Waverly was walking out to her car. "Waverly, please can you wait a second?"

"What Nicole?" Waverly stopped next to her car and turned to face her. 

"I'm sorry for telling you what to do. Can I please drive you home?" Nicole waited for an answer but none came. Waverly continued to look over her shoulder rather than meeting her eye. "I would worry about you getting home after what just happened," Nicole added quietly. 

Waverly sighed. "I would love a ride, thanks." 

The ride out to the homestead was silent. Nicole wasn't sure if Waverly wanted her to talk so she opted for silence. The few times she had snuck a glance, Waverly had her hands clasped tightly in her lap and was staring out the window. 

Waverly spent the trip wishing Nicole would break the silence. She was embarrassed that the doctor thought they were sleeping together. She didn't want to make Nicole feel awkward about the mistake. She knew she should say something and it was unfair to freeze Nicole out. Nicole has been nothing but nice since they met. Waverly just didn't know what to say. 

"Will you be okay here until Wynonna gets home?" Nicole finally asked as she pulled up in front of the homestead. 

Waverly didn't know what to say. She didn't know when Wynonna would be back. Her car was in town since Nicole had just driven her back. She really wasn't feeling good but she didn't want to say anything. 

"I might go stay at my apartment in town if Wynonna doesn't come back in a few days," she decided quickly. She didn't want to do that. She wanted to curl up on her bed upstairs and sleep for days. "I have some research to do for Dolls and a couple shifts at Shorty's this week." 

"Um, or if you want, I have a guest room. My apartment is near Shorty's and I drive to the station for my shift anyways. That way you won't have to be alone. I can tell you're not feeling well but trying your damnedest to hide it. I'm not messy but I do still have some moving boxes. I have a cat. The heater works pretty well and the couch is pretty comfortable." 

Waverly nodded. "I didn’t actually want to be alone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is much more fun that studying for finals.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly goes to stay at Nicole's.
> 
> I know nothing about being pregnant.

Waverly followed Nicole up the short flight of stairs to her second floor apartment. She'd lived in this town her entire life and she never knew there was apartments up here. When they reached the top of the stairs, Waverly could only see one door at the end of the hall. Nicole unlocked the door and held it open for Waverly to walk in ahead of her. Nicole closed the door behind them and set Waverly's bag down next to it. The cat slinked around the corner and Nicole bent over to pick her up. 

"Waverly, this is Timmy." Nicole pressed a kiss to the orange fur. "Timmy, Waverly. Behave, she's going to stay with us," she told the cat. 

"Timmy?" Waverly giggled. She reached out to scratch Timmy's head. "How'd you come up with her name?"

"My nephew named her." She watched in amazement as Timmy purred under Waverly's hand. Timmy didn't like being touched by anyone besides Nicole. Usually she scratched or hissed when anyone came near her. "He insisted my brother and his wife buy Timmy for me when I moved so I wouldn't get lonely. But then he also insisted on naming her Timmy. I have a hard time denying him anything." 

"That's really sweet. How old is he?" She put her arms out and took Timmy from Nicole. She continued stroking the cat as she looked up at Nicole. 

"He's seven. I like him." She smiled. "So, um, why don't I show you where the guess room is." She picked up Waverly's bag again and started down the hallway.

Waverly gave Timmy a kiss before putting her down and going after Nicole. Her jaw almost dropped when they moved out of the entryway into the actual apartment space. It was HUGE. And beautiful. The room Nicole showed her was likewise enormous. 

"Jesus, Nicole." Waverly walked over to the bed and ran her hand over the lace comforter. 

"Do you like it?" Nicole asked. She clasped her hands together. She was having a hard time taking her eyes off Waverly, who was wandering around the room looking at everything. 

"Like it? Nicole, it's beautiful." Waverly touched the comforter again. She'd always wanted lace in her bedroom. As a kid, she'd gotten hand-me-downs from Willa and Wynonna, though. As an adult, Champ usually made the final decision on décor. 

Nicole blushed. She had spent a lot of time putting her apartment together, hoping to finally make a home for herself. 

"I, uh, I have to go back to work. My half hour lunch break turned into three hours. Nedley's probably wondering where I went." She ran a hand over the back of her neck. "Listen, the fridge is fully stocked. There's an extra key in the bowl next to the door. And if you need anything, just call. I'll keep my phone on." 

"Thanks for this, Nicole." 

"Make yourself at home."

\---------

That night they shared a pizza and talked about how they spent the rest of their day. And the next they did it again, except Nicole cooked. And the next night was the same. On the fourth night, Waverly tried to cook but ended up burning it, so they order Chinese food instead. 

"I'm so sorry, Nicole," she said as she watched Nicole try to scrub the burnt goop off the pot. 

Nicole laughed. "Actually, it's refreshing." Waverly raised her eyebrow, so Nicole clarified. "To find something you can't do. I was beginning to think you didn't have any flaws." 

"Trust me, I have plenty. There's nothing special about me." Waverly crossed her arms and leaned back against the fridge. 

Nicole laughed. "Right." She turned the water off and grabbed a towel to wipe her hands. She leaned back against the sink and faced Waverly. "Waves, we haven't known each other that long but in that time, I've heard you speak Latin and seen you wade through thousands of pages of history and remember all of it. You stand up for yourself and I have no doubt that you can punch out anyone who doesn't respect you. But you don't. And you're pregnant. Waverly, you're the strongest woman I've ever met. You're incredibly special. I don't know how you could ever doubt that." 

"You're sweet, Nicole."

Nicole could tell from her tone that Waverly didn't completely believe her. She honestly didn't know where Waverly's doubt came from. Maybe from dating that man child for too long. She wanted to tell her she even found her "flaws" endearing. But who was she kidding? Burning dinner isn't a flaw. It was just something adorable to ever-growing list of adorable things Waverly did. She shook her head and looked down at her feet to hide her burning cheeks. 

"So, any new dizzy spells?" Nicole asking, hoping to move the conversation to a safer topic. 

"Not since the doctor's office."

"Should we be worried about why you're getting dizzy?" 

"She said it was normal for some women. Nothing to worry about," Waverly waved her hand back and forth. 

"You don't feel sick in any other way, right?" 

"Just in the morning. Seriously, Nicole," Waverly said squeezing Nicole's forearm, "nothing to worry about." 

"Waverly," Nicole started. She paused, not sure if she should continue. 

"What?"

"I wanted to ask you something but I think I might be overstepping."

"Ask," Waverly said, simply. 

"Well, I was wondering why you called Champ the other day." 

"He's her dad. I want him to be part of her life."

"I thought you said you were over him but do you want to get back together?" Nicole asked quietly. Waverly dropped her hand and stepped back. Nicole felt her heart tighten.

"Nicole, I - " Waverly's phone began playing Wynonna's ringtone in the living room. "Sorry, I should get that." She walked quickly out of the kitchen towards the living room. Nicole heard her answer it with a cheerful, "Hi, Wynonna." She listened for a minute before she heard, "I stayed at Nicole's but I'll be home soon. I'm glad you're back." 

"Right," Nicole mumbled. "Of course." And just like that, their bubble burst and reality crept back in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I really don't want to study for finals. Two updates in one weekend. Don't hate me for the ending.


	7. Chapter 7

"Good morning, Wynonna. Nice of you to join us," Dolls said without looking up from his laptop.  He'd come into the station before 6 to get in a training session and wasn't surprised to find the young new deputy there going to town on a punching bag. He'd been waiting for Wynonna to join him for four hours.

 

Wynonna grunted and plopped down into a chair. She leaned her head back and crossed her arms, not removing her leather jacket or sunglasses. She'd spent her night at Shorty's drinking, dancing, and playing pool. Peacemaker dug into her hip in this position. She reached down to grab it and slapped it on the table next to her.

 

"We've been waiting for you to get here to update Waverly on what we've been up to." Dolls nodded his head to the corner, where Waverly was curled under a thick blanket. The central heat in the building had broken again and they were relying on small space heaters in the negative temperatures. Wynonna opened one eye to look over at Waverly.

 

"Hey, kid, you alright?" she asked.

 

"Yeah, fine," she answered. Dolls and Wynonna heard her teeth chatter between the words. "So what happened?"

 

"We learned the names of four Revenants that we didn't have before." Wynonna threw her glasses on the table next to Peacemaker. "Dolls has some contacts that we've been working with. They're going to keep helping us for the time being."

 

"They owe me a favor," Dolls said when Waverly looked at him questioningly.

 

"Who are they?" Waverly stood up, holding onto the ends of the blanket to keep it around her shoulders. She walked towards the table where Dolls was spreading files out. They went through the files together. Waverly had questions about how exactly they determined these men were revenants. Dolls provided the Cliff Notes version of how they tied them all together. Wynonna concentrated on keeping her breakfast down.

 

They were going through the last file when they heard the loud bang and the following scream. They looked at each other before they ran out through the front doors of the station along with the deputies on duty. Waverly didn't see the flash of red hair or hear Nicole's voice even though she knew Nicole was on duty at the station.

 

They stopped running and took in the scene in front of the station. There was a car, with its front end smashed in by the corner of the building. It was facing against the normal flow of traffic. A man was standing next to the open door of the car with his hat gripped tight in his hand, covering his mouth as he took in the scene. There were people kneeling about 15 feet in front of him. Someone was laying on their side on the ground in the middle of the group of people.

 

Waverly could see the standard department issued beige pants and black boots on the long legs of the person sprawled out on the ground. She quickly scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of Nicole. When she didn't see her, she whipped her head back towards the body on the ground. When someone around the body shifted their leg, she saw a small sliver of red hair. Waverly's breath caught in her throat. "Nicole," she whispered. She felt a hand grasp her own and looked down. Wynonna squeezed her hand.

 

The ambulance stopped in front of them, blocking their view.

 

"Wynonna, I -"

 

"It'll be okay." Wynonna wrapped an arm around Waverly's shoulder. "They're get them to the hospital and fix 'em up. Let's go back inside. You're freezing."

 

"But I -"

 

"They don't need our help out here, Waves. Come on. Negative forty can't be good for you or the baby." She squeezed Waverly's shoulder when her sister didn't move. "Waverly? Come on, don't watch this. Let's go."

 

She steered Waverly back into the BBD office, grabbing the blanket off the floor where Waverly had dropped it when she ran out. Wynonna wrapped her sister back into it the blanket and rubbed her arms a few times. Waverly's teeth were chattering.

 

"Waves?" Waverly had yet to say anything and she was staring, unblinking, over Wynonna's shoulder. "Waverly? Snap out of it!" she said, snapping her fingers in front of her sister's face. "What the hell?"

 

"Looks like just the one deputy was injured," Dolls said when he walked back into the room, "but he was moving around when they put him in the ambulance."

 

"He?" Waverly asked so quietly that Wynonna barely heard her. Her breath hitched and she blinked a few times to clear the tears that threatened.

 

"Dolls, did you see who it was?"

 

"Deputy Martin, I think is his name." He looked at the Earp sisters and noticed the glassy look in Waverly's eyes. He didn't like showing feelings but he felt a deep connection to the Earps. "You okay, Waverly?"

 

"Yeah," she said, wiping away the single tear that escaped. "Yeah, probably just my hormones going crazy. Excuse me." She rushed out of the room.

 

Dolls and Wynonna looked at each other. They shrugged and turned away from each other. Dolls back to the files and Wynonna to the coffee pot.

 

\-------------------

 

The week following the accident, Waverly saw Nicole a number of times. Each time she saw her - sitting at her desk and walking around the station or driving her car - she had to excuse her to hide the tears that rushed to her eyes. She hated that she was having such a negative reaction to the accident.

 

It was only a week after that that Wynonna cornered Nicole at the coffee pot at the station.

 

"Heya, Deputy."

 

"Wynonna." Nicole raised the mug in salute and tried to get around Wynonna. She found herself blocked between the counter, the table, and Wynonna. "What's up?"

 

"What's going on with Waverly?"

 

"I haven't talked to her much. Been a little busy since Eric is still in the hospital. Why? What's wrong with her?"

 

"I don't know." Wynonna turned away. "She's been, uh, off recently."

 

"Off how?"

 

"I don't know, Haught! That's why I'm trying to figure out what's going on. I can't leave her again like this."

 

"You're leaving again? Where you off to now?" Nicole took a sip of her coffee.

 

"Dolls doesn't exactly give me an itinerary." Wynonna threw her hands up.

 

"Right."

 

"Look, she told me you took care of her last time. Could you do it again?"

 

"Of course, Wynonna." Nicole was met with a steely glare when she reached out to touch Wynonna's shoulder. She dropped her arm and gave a tight smile instead. "Know how long you'll be gone?"

 

"Again, no itinerary."

 

"Gotcha."

 

"Just see if you can figure out what's wrong with her. She says she's fine. She's lying." Wynonna left without a glance back, leaving Nicole standing with her coffee.

 

"Nice talking to you, Wynonna," she said into her coffee mug. She was just returning to her desk when she heard Waverly's voice, yelling at Wynonna.

 

"Why the hell did you do that?" Waverly spat at her older sister.

 

"Because Waverly, something's wrong and you obviously don't want to tell me. Maybe you'll talk to her," Wynonna said.

 

"Now I have to go stay with her." Nicole flinched when she heard that. She considered Waverly as a friend but maybe Waverly didn't feel the same way about her.

 

"Just stay out of my business, Wynonna!" Waverly came out of the BBD office. She saw Nicole sitting at the front desk and turned in the opposite direction so she wouldn't have to pass her.

 

_Ouch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this chapter - I saw a really bad crash last night and I can't get it out of my head. Writing about things always helps. This wasn't part of the original outline but I kinda needed to work my head out a little. 
> 
> Still in finals, still procrastinating on studying - so I might be able to get another chapter out this week.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly has a strange morning before going to stay with Nicole again

Wynonna left with Dolls the next morning. She peeked her head into Waverly's room to say goodbye but Waverly pulled the cover over her head. "I'll call you as soon as possible. Bye, Waverly." Wynonna backed out of the room, closing the door gently. 

Waverly slept for a few more hours, until her alarm started blaring across the room. She dragged herself out of bed and went downstairs to make breakfast. She sighed when she saw Wynonna had left her a bowl of fruit and a broccoli quiche. She knew she was being difficult but she was having a hard time making herself stop acting like this. She needed to open up Shorty's so she quickly ate breakfast and got ready. 

By midday, Shorty's was filled with people. Waverly tried keeping up with the orders that were coming in. She tried to keep the bar clean from all the beer spills. But the lunch rush was barely starting and she was already tired. When Gus told her she could take a break, she gladly sprinted up the stairs to her old apartment and fell flat on the bed. She was asleep the moment her eyes closed. 

She woke half an hour later, drool clinging to her cheek. She used the back of her hand to wipe it as she turned over onto her back. 

"You won't be able to sleep on your stomach much longer," Gus said. Waverly sat up quickly. Her aunt was standing across the room, watching her with her arms crossed. "You alright, kid?"

"Yes, Gus, just tired." Waverly crossed her legs and ran a hand through her hair. 

"Okay," she said, unconvinced. "Officer Haught is here and she's looking for you. Thought I'd let you know." 

"Right." She ran her hand through her hair again. "Alright, I'll be right there." Gus turned and left the room, leaving Waverly alone again. She stood up and walked to the sink, resting her hands on the porcelain edge and leaning forward to look in the mirror. She sighed. Her hair was all tangled and there were deep purple circles below her eyes. She turned the water on, listening to it run for a minute before splashing some on her face. She rinsed her mouth with mouth wash and quickly brushed and braided her hair. 

Waverly stood on the first floor landing and looked down at Nicole standing near the bar. Nicole was holding her hat in her hands. Her hair was up in it's typical braid. Her uniform was perfect except for the top two buttons that were left open. 

Nicole took a sharp breath and turned to look towards the stairs. She met Waverly's eyes. The air in the room had changed and Nicole knew there could only be one reason: Waverly. Waverly's hair was thrown over her right shoulder in a loose braid. All Nicole could think about was how gorgeous she looked. When Waverly started making her way towards her, Nicole remembered why she had stopped into Shorty's and she sighed. 

"Hi, Officer. How are you?" Waverly asked. She had walked around to stand inside the bar, letting it separate them. 

"I'm okay, Waverly. How are you?" The concern in her voice was evident. 

"I'm fine." She looked down at the worn out wood and ran a hand over it. Looking back up, she said, "Gus said you were looking for me." 

"Well, I, yes, yes I was looking for you." Nicole started twisting the hat between her hands. "I wanted to say if you're not comfortable staying at my house, you don't have to. But Wynonna asked me to help you and I'm going to do that, whether you want me to or not. But I can do that just as well at your house as I can at mine." 

"We'll stay at yours. I brought my bag with me so I'll come after work," she said, flatly. 

Nicole nodded, the corner of her mouth slightly turned up. "Okay, well, I'll cook when I get home then. See you tonight." She put her hat back on and turned towards the door. Waverly crossed her arms and watched her go, her lips in a tight line. 

"Congratulations on the baby," came a low voice from the end of the bar. Waverly looked up to towards the voice, rolling her eyes when she saw Bobo del Rey. He was nursing a glass of whiskey and leaning forward on the bar, his large Macklemore-esque coat draped over his shoulders. 

"Don't you have a pack of trailer wolves to order around?" 

Champ came up to bar and ordered a beer. Waverly turned away from Bobo to pour it from the tap. 

"Most people say thank you, Ms. Earp," Bobo said as she set the glass down on the bar in front of Champ. 

"Leave her alone," Champ growled. 

"Tell your woman to say thank you." Bobo stood up, towering over Champ. 

"What's your problem?" Champ narrowed his eyes 

"Aw, lovers' tiff?" Bobo laughed. 

Waverly watched as Champ quickly flew out of his seat, punching Bobo in one swift motion. Bobo fell backwards, clutching his nose. Waverly's draw dropped when Champ grabbed Bobo by the shoulders and kneed him in the crotch. 

"Leave. Her. Alone. Asshole." Champ picked up his beer and downed it in one sip. He threw a few dollars onto the bar, looked at Waverly for a long moment, and stalked out of Shorty's. 

"What in the world was that?" Gus asked. She had come out of the stockroom just as Champ kneed Bobo. 

"I suppose I'll be leaving now." Bobo wiped the back of his hand over his mouth and walked away from the bar. 

"I have no idea what just happened," Waverly said, honestly. 

"The both of them have been drinking far too much. Good riddance." 

The scene played again and again in her head for the rest of the day. She couldn't make sense of it. Champ pretended to be macho but very rarely actually fought with anyone. He didn’t seem drunk and that seemed like the only logical reason for his actions. She briefly thought he might have done it because he still cared about her. But she quickly remembered that the only thing he had said to her since she broke up with him was his Shorty's order. 

________

The apartment windows were dark when Waverly pulled up in front of the building. She sighed. It was freezing outside and she didn't want to wait out there for Nicole to get home. Grabbing her bag off the seat next to her, she stalked towards the stairs up to Nicole's apartment. 

"Nicole Haught is going to wish she had never met me if she's not home right now," she said to herself as she stopped in front of the door. She raised her hand, ready to pound on the door. The door flew open and there stood Nicole Haught in panda pjs. 

"Hey, Waves. Just in time." She reached forward and took the bag from Waverly's hand. When she turned to walk further into the apartment, she looked over her shoulder. Waverly continued to stand outside the apartment. "You coming?"

Waverly dropped her hand as she walked into the apartment. The smell of marinara wafted towards her. She closed the door and leaned her forehead against it. 

"You okay?" Nicole asked quietly. She stood just behind Waverly. 

"I'm fine, Nicole," Waverly bit out. From her position she didn't see Nicole's head drop or the hurt that filled her eyes. She didn't see Nicole slip down the hallway into the guest bedroom. She didn't see Nicole lean against the wall in the bedroom, closing her eyes, breathing deep. 

Waverly stood there for a few minutes, collecting herself. When she walked into the kitchen, Nicole was standing at the stove, stirring a big pot of sauce. 

"I picked up some more of your vitamins and tea blend when I went by Martha's yesterday. I noticed you were almost out when I was at your place last time. It's in the cabinet there," she gestured towards the cabinet by the fridge. "Use it, don't use it, totally up to you." Nicole continued stirring. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You know where the drinks are, help yourself to whatever you want." 

They were quiet through dinner. Instead of talking, they focused on their food. Spaghetti and meatballs was one of Nicole's specialties. She had made a side of lemon-dipped asparagus as well. Every so often, Nicole would glance over at Waverly. Waverly stared down at her food, never looking up. They cleaned up in silence as well. Waverly washed the dishes. Nicole put the food away and dried the dishes. When they were done, Waverly thanked Nicole for the meal and went to her room to sleep early. 

But she found herself lying awake a few hours later, staring at the ceiling. The apartment was silent; Nicole must have gone to bed already. She picked up her cell phone from the night stand. 10:35pm. 

Waverly: You awake?

Waverly heard a phone ping down the hallway. There was a rustle and then Waverly's phone pinged. 

Nicole: Yeah - you okay?  
Waverly: Can't sleep  
Nicole: Give me a few minutes

A few minutes later, Nicole appeared in the doorway of Waverly's room. She offered her hand to Waverly. "Come on, let's go." Waverly put her hand in Nicole's and slid out of bed. They walked down the hall to Nicole's room. 

Nicole had set up a fort around her bed. Waverly could see the glow from her laptop in the middle. Nicole helped her through the opening of the fort and then crawled in after her. 

"We'll watch a movie, okay? It always helps me go to sleep." Nicole had already pulled up her favorite movie to fall asleep to: Hugo. She thought it might help Waverly, too. She pressed play on the laptop and readjusted it so they could lie side-by-side. 

By the time Georges catches Hugo stealing, Waverly had slid down on the pillows, resting her head on Nicole's shoulder. As Waverly watched the movie, Nicole watched Waverly. She hadn't been sure how Waverly would react to lying down with her. She knew Waverly wasn't feeling good because of the pregnancy but it was obvious that something else was bothering her as well. 

Nicole wanted to reach out and play with the ends of her hair but she restrained herself. That is until Waverly turned on her side, laying an arm across Nicole's stomach and snuggling into her side. As Hugo explained how Paris and its people were a machine, Waverly drew a deep breath. 

"I've been alone almost my entire life," she said quietly. "Mama took off before I could walk. Daddy always hated me. Willa died young and then Wynonna was, well she was gone for a long time." She felt a hand run through her hair and smiled. "Champ was really the only person who ever stayed. Stephanie said he put me on a pedestal and treated me like a princess. Maybe that's true. But he never really understood me. And that was almost worse than him leaving me."

"Waverly," Nicole said, nudging her. When Waverly looked up at her, she asked, "What are you telling me?"

"I've been mad this week, mostly at myself, and I directed that anger towards you." She lowered her head again and said quietly, "I didn't know who was in that accident last week. And I couldn't find you. And for a minute, I thought that maybe," but she couldn't finish. She closed her eyes and prayed the tears that had formed in her eyes wouldn't soak into Nicole's shirt. 

Nicole stopped playing with Waverly's hair and wrapped her arm around Waverly's waist. She pulled Waverly a little closer. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Waves." She desperately wanted to press a kiss to the top of Waverly's head but wasn't sure it would be read as just being friendly. 

"I don't have any friends. Chrissy, sure, but she takes her orders from Stephanie." Waverly fisted her hand in the side of Nicole's shirt, trying to get closer to her. 

"You have me. I'm your friend." Fuck it. Nicole leaned down and pressed her lips to Waverly's forehead. "You may not know this but I've never had many friends either." She felt Waverly laugh in disbelief. "I'm serious, Waves. Being from my family in my town brought a lot of superficial people into my life. But not even those people wanted to be friends with the gay one. It was like they thought they'd catch it from me or something." 

"Their loss." Waverly closed her eyes and snuggled closer. "I like this movie," she said abruptly. 

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites." They listened to the rest of the movie. And when it ended, they stayed in that position and fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we've jumped ahead in time a bit to get the story moving. But there are some flashbacks to fill in the gap. I tried a new format here so I hope it’s not too confusing. In case anyone is confused on the timeline, the beginning of the chapter starts when Waverly's in her 7th month of pregnancy. 
> 
> Sorry for any typos. Wanted to get it out tonight.

When she woke up, Waverly found herself staring into the back of Nicole's head. Her arm was wrapped around Nicole's waist, keeping Nicole from falling off the bed. Waverly felt warm skin beneath her hand and realized Nicole's shirt had ridden up, exposing her midriff. Waverly started to move away before she realized the movement would probably wake Nicole up. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in this position. But she also didn't want to wake Nicole up. She tried to use her forearm to nudge the shirt back into place but it was caught under Nicole's arm.

 

Nicole's lips turned up. She kept her breathing even so Waverly wouldn't know she was awake. But between Waverly's belly pushing into her back every time she tried to pull her shirt down and Waverly being so obviously uncomfortable, Nicole wasn't sure how long she could keep it up.

 

Waverly turned her head and looked at the clock on the stand. 8:20am. Crap. They needed to get up. She couldn't figure out how Nicole got out of these situations every day. Since that first night back in Nicole's apartment, Waverly had taken to sleeping with Nicole. She missed the lacy bedspread but she was happy for the comfort Nicole brought. And with everything, Waverly needed some comfort.

 

FLASHBACK - 3 months ago

 

Waverly pushed the cart down the aisle, hopping up the ride the back bar every few feet, a huge grin spread across her face. They were making lasagna today, her favorite. Nicole had sent Waverly off to the grocery store while she got a "surprise" ready at home. Waverly had whined that it was cold outside and she was pregnant, hoping Nicole would give in to her puppy dog eyes. But Nicole had stood her ground, saying she'd make it up to Waverly. Secretly, Nicole was hoping to get Waverly out of whatever funk was left over from the crash and "the incident" with Champ and Bobo at Shorty's.

 

Waverly was so busy trying to figure out what her surprise was that she almost ran into someone when she rounded the aisle.

 

"Sheriff! Sorry 'bout that." She pulled the cart back towards her so she was nudging him with it.

 

"Evening, Waverly. In a hurry to get back to Haught?" He smirked. He knew the two of them had been living together with Wynonna being gone. And he'd seen the way his deputy took care of Waverly. She needed someone to take care of her.

 

Waverly's face turned red. "We're making my favorite for dinner. Mostly want to get home to eat that." It wasn't lost on either of them that she'd called Nicole's place "home." 

 

"Well you enjoy that. Tell Haught I expect her there on time tomorrow."

 

"Yes, Sheriff," Waverly said, looking away. She'd consistently made Nicole late over the past month. It wasn't her fault, exactly. She just always ended up getting sick right as Nicole was leaving for work and Nicole couldn't leave her alone. "Sorry, that's been my fault. Not feeling well."

 

He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. He dropped it awkwardly and said, "I know. Have a good night." He walked away before she could say anything else.

 

Waverly blew out a breath and continued down the aisle. She didn't see Champ standing behind a display, staring at her, eyes narrowed.

 

FLASHBACK - 2 months ago

 

Waverly ripped the receipt from the machine and walked back to the customer to sign it. Shorty's was pretty busy for a Thursday night. Her head was killing her and there was already a dull ache in her foot. The loud music and Neanderthal men yelling weren't helping anything. She watched Gus take a tray of food to a table, gracefully keeping the food on the tray instead of spilling it when one of the drunk men walked into her. She rolled her eyes, glancing up at the clock on the wall. 10:45. Fuck. Still over four hours to go. She wasn't sure how much more she could take.

 

At that moment, the front door opened. Champ walked straight up to the bar and ordered a beer. When Waverly set it in front of him, she could smell the faint scent of whiskey coming from him.

 

"Hi, Waverly." He pulled the stool back from the bar and sat down on it.

 

"Hey, Champ," she said, trying to keep the sneer out of her voice and off her face.

 

"How's it going?"

 

"Well I'd rather be home in bed with a movie but other than that, it's fine." Normally, she'd ask a person how they were, but she didn't want to talk to him. She dropped the rag onto the bar top and started wiping it down. Might as well do something useful if he was going to talk to her.

 

"Home, huh? I thought you were staying with Haught?"

 

Waverly's head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes. "You following me, Champ?" she bit out.

 

He raised his hands in surrender when she leaned in closer to him. He knew better than to mess with Waverly when she was mad. "No, I heard someone talking at the grocery store." He didn't see any reason to tell her he heard _her_ talking about it at the grocery store. "I just figured it's 'cause Wynonna and that giant bodyguard of hers are out of town."

 

"Stay of out my business, Champ." she said, through gritted teeth.

 

"You're pregnant with my kid, it's my business, too."

 

Waverly stopped wiping the bar and looked up at him. His face was slightly red and he was taking sharp breaths. He was staring back at her like he didn't know what had just come out of his mouth.

 

"What's going on here?" she asked quietly.

 

"Nothing," he said, grabbing his beer and walking away from her.

 

Waverly scratched her head and wondered when she'd missed that change.

 

Flashback - 2 months ago

 

Wynonna set the tea cup down next to Waverly's elbow. Since she'd come in this morning, her sister had been buried in the stack of files they'd brought back from their mission.

 

"Find anything interesting in there?" Wynonna squatted down next to her and pointed at the files.

 

"Nothing yet. There's a few letters here between a couple but they don't use any names. I'll have to compare the writing style to other letters to determine who wrote them. " She showed one of the letters to Wynonna. "All of them have this little Fish symbol on the bottom. I've never seen that before."

 

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do." Wynonna touched a hand to Waverly's arm. "So, how'd it go while I was gone? Did you make up with Nicole?"

 

"We didn't need to make up," Waverly said, rolling her eyes. "It's fine. Everything's fine," she said, in way that made Wynonna think everything was not fine.

 

"Okay, Waves, whatever you say." She stood up. "So I'll pick you up from Shorty's after your shift so we can go home together."

 

"Actually, I was thinking I might stay at Nicole's."

 

"But I'm home and I want some quality time with the kid," Wynonna pouted.

 

"Honestly, the ride out there makes me a little sick," Waverly said. "I don't think I can make the trip every day, twice a day."

 

"Well, I guess Red is going to be seeing a lot more of me, then."

 

Flashback - 1 month ago

 

Waverly eyed the man who had just pushed open the doors of Shorty's, hands on his hips, fur coat touching the ground around him. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

 

"Welcome home, boys," Bobo said. His crew walked by him into the bar.

 

"Get out of here," Waverly picked up the shotgun she kept behind the bar.

 

"Oh, sweetheart, I think you got this all wrong." Bobo walked to her, rounding the bar and stopping in front of her. "This is all my mine now. Your dear old aunt sold it to me this morning." Bobo took in Waverly's pale face. "Guess she forgot to tell you." He looked around Shorty's. "Oh," he stepped closer, "you're mine now, too."

 

Waverly looked up at him in disgust. "Like hell I am. Get out of my face, Bobo, before I show you exactly what I can do with this." She raised the shotgun and used it to create space between them.

 

"Now now, that's no way to impress your new boss."

 

"Over my dead body. I quit."

 

"In that case, you'll have to return all those little Shorty's shirts you have, including that one," he said, pointing at her shirt. "Want me to help you peel it off?"

 

"Step back from my sister, Bobo!" Wynonna stood at the door, pointing Peacemaker at Bobo's head.

 

"The Heir!" someone yelled from the back of the bar.

 

"Lower your weapons," Bobo said.

 

Waverly kept the shotgun raised as she backed up to stand next to Wynonna. "Come on, let's go." As the Earp sisters left Shorty's, they heard wood being torn apart and the loud cheers of Bobo's men. Wynonna slug an arm around Waverly and walked her back to the BBD office.

 

Present day

 

Waverly had given up on trying to get Nicole's shirt back in place. Now she was diligently trying to slide her arm back. And not succeeding. Suddenly, she felt Nicole's stomach start to tremble. And then a snort escaped Nicole's mouth. Waverly snatched her arm back quickly.

 

"I was trying not to wake you up," she said quietly.

 

Nicole turned on her back and giggled. "I held out as long as I could."

 

Waverly's faced burned bright red. "How long have you been awake?" she asked slowly.

 

"Eh. Just a few minutes." Nicole patted Waverly's arm. "Come on. I'll make some breakfast." She hopped out of bed and turned into the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she had a mouthful of toothpaste, they heard a loud knock at the front door, followed by the door bell. "Waves, do you mind?"

 

"I got it." Waverly wobbled to the front door, figuring it was Wynonna with coffee. She checked the peephole to be sure and saw a woman on the other side she had never met before. She opened the door slightly. "Good morning. Can I help you?" The woman was probably around Wynonna's age and gorgeous. Waverly thought she looked familiar but she couldn't place her face. 

 

"Is Nicole here?" the woman asked. She looked down at Waverly's pregnant belly before raising her eyes back to Waverly's face, her mouth slightly agape. "This is Nicole Haught's apartment, right?"

 

"Melanie?" Nicole stood behind Waverly in the hallway, her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. She'd heard the voice and rushed out of the bathroom. "Uh, hi. Waves, this is Melanie. Melanie, Waverly."

 

Melanie? Now Waverly remembered where she'd seen her face before. Engagement photos.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright sorry, folks, I had to change one sentence to make it work. I wrote the next chapter and it felt really (like really really) wrong so I rewrote it but that required me to change this one thing. Sorry if you read the original and it left a bad taste in your mouth. :/


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out some things about Melanie and Nicole's history, Chump makes an appearance, and things happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a long one! But I wanted all this in a single chapter. 
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking with it. I appreciate all of you wonderful people so much.
> 
> Oh - in case you missed it, I changed Melanie's dialogue in the last chapter. So if you read it the day it was posted, it's a little different now. Apologies for that. I just realized as I was writing this chapter that I wanted to take that character in a different direction. Just a few words were changed, promise.

"You coming in?" Nicole asked with a smirk. Without waiting for an answer, she walked to the hallway bathroom and quickly rinsed her mouth out. 

Waverly stepped back to let Melanie into the apartment and softly closed the door behind her. They stood there awkwardly until Nicole came back. She motioned for them to follow her and they walked through the apartment to the kitchen. Waverly excused herself to go brush her teeth. Nicole hadn't told her much about Melanie. She knew they were engaged a few years before but they'd broken it off. That's all. 

In the kitchen Nicole leaned back against the counter and looked at Melanie. "We were about to make some breakfast. Do you want to join us?" Nicole asked. She turned the kettle on and reached into the cabinet to take out a pan. 

"If it's okay, I'd love to," Melanie replied. She offered a small smile. "I just got in this morning and haven't had a chance to stop for food or coffee yet."

"Well, coffee we can definitely get you." Nicole kept a small table in the kitchen for days she didn't feel like eating in the dining room. She pulled a chair out for Waverly to sit down when she came back in. She turned to the cabinet to pull down mugs. The coffeepot had started brewing earlier that morning. Nicole often forget to turn it on, so Waverly had bought her one with a daily preset. She filled water in the kettle and set it to boil. They'd been careful to keep Waverly off caffeine. Instead, Nicole had come home with a ton of different tea flavors one day. Waverly tried them all until she found a few she liked. Nicole was usually in charge of picking one in the morning because Waverly could never decide. 

Nicole filled coffee into the mugs and handed one to Melanie. "Still no cream or sugar?"

"Nope. Always was an easy one to remember." She sat down at the table with Waverly. "So Waverly, right?"

"Yes." Waverly didn't like the way she said her name. She didn't like her sitting in that chair. In the chair Nicole often filled. She was being irrational, she knew. There was nothing actually wrong with the way she said her name or the fact that she was sitting there. She was annoyed that she didn't know more about her and yet, here she was. She smiled up at Nicole when she set the tea cup in front of her. "You're funny," she said. Nicole had made a blend of tea called "Calm Down: The Blend for Controlling Hormones." 

"I just figured after this morning, you could use this one," Nicole replied, with a smirk. Neither one of them realized what it sounded like to an outsider. Neither noticed Melanie look down into her coffee. 

"So," Melanie cleared her throat, "how far along are you?" 

"Seven months," Waverly replied, proudly. She turned back to Melanie while Nicole busied herself making oatmeal. "This little nugget will be along soon enough and she'll be keeping us up all night."

"Already is," Nicole called out. 

"You're having a girl? Congratulations. Decided on a name yet?" 

"Thanks. And no, we're still trying to figure it out," Waverly replied. She and Wynonna had been going through a long list of names to find the perfect one. Nothing yet. 

Nicole's phone started ringing on the counter, indicating a facetime call was coming in. She picked it up and laughed. "Speak of the devil and she shall answer." She turned it on, and with the cheeriest voice she could muster, she said, "Good morning, Wynonna." 

"Ugh, Red, can you lower your volume a little?" Nicole watched her turn over on what looked like the couch. 

"Rough night? Again?" 

"Doc and I were out late, doing stuff." 

'Yeah, I know what you and Doc get up to when you're doing stuff." She watched Wynonna blink at her. "Just keep the whiskey to a minimum when I'm on duty. It's embarrassing having to tell Waverly that I had to drag your ass back to the station or the homestead." 

Wynonna blew out a breath. "Sure thing. Now where's the kid? I want to talk to her." 

Nicole walked over to Waverly and handed her the phone. 

"Good morning, Wynonna." Waverly calmly sipped her tea and waited for Wynonna. 

"Morning, Waves. Put the kid on." 

Waverly excused herself to go into the living room where Wynonna could have her morning conversation with the baby. She'd taken to calling every morning since Waverly refused to move home. 

"Good morning. Do you miss me? Did you give Mommy a hard time again last night? Don't you know I'm the only one allowed to do that?" Wynonna cooed into the phone and Waverly giggled. 

"She got me into trouble this morning." Waverly smiled and ran a hand over her stomach. 

"Trouble? You're causing trouble already? You really are an Earp." Wynonna laughed to herself. "Hey, Waves, I wanted to let you know that we went out to Wylie's last night and there was some chick asking around about Haught." 

"Asking what?" Waverly asked, hesitantly. 

"Where to find her and such. Keep an eye out. She's tall, brunette, maybe my age, stunning. Don't know what she wants but she was pretty insistent on finding Haught." 

"Oh, I think she found her. She's in the kitchen right now." Waverly saw her pick up Peacemaker and wave it in front of the camera. "No, put it down."

"You say the word and I'll come kick some ass." 

"Waves, breakfast is ready," Nicole said softly from the doorway. Waverly looked up at her and motioned for her to come over. Nicole sat down next to Waverly. 

"Okay," Wynonna said, "give me a second. Bye, Little Girl. Don't give your mom a hard time. I'll see you at the station later. I love you," she said, blowing a kiss towards Waverly's belly. "Oh, Waves are you coming to the station? I didn't just lie to her, did I?" 

"No, I'll be there later. Dolls needed some stuff from me." They all said goodbye and Waverly handed the phone back to Nicole. Nicole lifted her hip to stick the phone in her back pocket. Waverly nudged Nicole with her shoulder. "You okay?" she whispered. 

"I'm fine. A little surprised if anything, but fine." 

"You never told me what happened, and you don't have to," she quickly added. "But I'm here if you need me."

"And Wynonna too, apparently." Waverly raised her eyebrow. "'You say the word and I'll come kick some ass'?" Nicole laughed. "I appreciate it, though. I couldn't ask for better friends." 

"We have your back, Nicole." Waverly nudged her shoulder. "We should probably go back in there. It's not very polite to keep a guest waiting."

Nicole stood and held her hands out to help Waverly up. "It'll be fine." Waverly nodded, but she couldn't tell who Nicole was trying to convince. 

Over breakfast, Nicole asked what brought Melanie to town. 

"I'm writing a story on your grandmother. For the 50th anniversary. And I'm interviewing all the close family members." 

"Fiftieth anniversary?" Waverly asked. She knew most of the Haught wealth had come from her grandmother's writing. She was surprised that the fiftieth anniversary was coming up already. Melanie, on the other hand, interpreted her question to mean she didn't know who Nicole's grandmother was. 

"Of Clarion," Melanie said. "It's a classic and they're teaching it in a lot of universities now. They're printing a special edition for the anniversary and we want to do a feature on it. I'll be honest. I could have done this over the phone but she asked me to come see you."

"She asked you? Why?" Nicole often talked to her grandmother and didn't know why she would send someone to check on her. Least of all why she would send Melanie. 

"She's worried." Melanie flicked her eyes to Waverly. "I'm not sure." She shrugged. "She just asked me to come check on you." 

"She seemed fine last time we facetimed with her," Waverly said. "I hope she's okay." She looked at Nicole. "We should call her tonight and check in." Timmy slinked up to her leg and Waverly bent over to pick her up and cuddle. She stoked the cat while Timmy rubbed her head against Waverly's stomach and purred. 

Nicole smiled. She loved that her grandmother and Waverly got along. And she loved that Waverly was always concerned about her. Nicole nodded in agreement. 

"Well everything is fine here," Nicole said. "Nothing to worry about." She looked back at Melanie. "Unfortunately I have to work today, so I won't be available to talk but maybe I could meet you during my dinner hour?"

'That'd be great."

"Excellent, I'll text you the address." 

"And if you could point me in the direction of the closest hotel, I'll get settled in. I'll probably have to stay the night." 

"You're more than welcome to stay here if you want," Nicole said. 

Melanie blushed. "No, I couldn't do that to you both. A hotel will be fine." 

"I have to insist actually. The only place to stay within 30 miles of here is the Triangle Inn and I really don't want to tell you about the calls I get from that place." 

Melanie looked at Waverly. "Um, okay. If that's okay with you both."

"Whatever Nicole wants is fine with me," Waverly said. She didn't feel like she actually had a place to say who could and couldn't stay in Nicole's house. She continued stroking Timmy. 

"Great. So that's settled then. You can come down to the station with us and hang out for the day, if you want."

"Oh, I didn't realize you were an officer as well, Waverly." 

"I'm not but my sister and I work there." 

"Waverly is a brilliant researcher. She knows everything about this town." Nicole smiled brightly. "Speaking of, I told Dolls I would get Your Brilliance in on time today. We should get a move on if we want to get in on time." 

Waverly and Nicole had planned to get some grocery shopping done before their shift since Waverly had cleared through Nicole's hidden stashes of her late night craving snacks. Nicole thought by hiding them in places Waverly was too short to reach, she'd be able to save some for when the regular stash ran out in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, with a ton like Purgatory, there was nowhere for Nicole to get food for Waverly in the middle of the night if she suddenly got a craving. 

\-------------------------------------

They invited Melanie to come along with them, because what else could they do? They figured it would be a quick in and out. They hadn't expected to run into Champ, though. He had recently started working at the grocery store, making it harder for either of them to stay clear of him. Nicole had done a pretty good job of keeping track of his hours so they could avoid the store during those times. He must have picked up an extra shift today, though. When he saw them coming down the aisle towards him, he sneered at them. Melanie immediately picked up on the tense situation and decided to stay quiet and observe. 

He moved some boxes to block the aisle, not allowing them to pass with their cart. 

"Seriously, Champ?" Nicole said, bending over to move the boxes over to let Waverly push the cart through. He grabbed the box from her, though, and pushed it back into the middle of the aisle. 

"Hi, Waverly," he said gently. Then he turned to Nicole and the sneer came back. "I'm trying to work here, Deputy. Is that a problem?" 

"No problem, Champ. We just want to do our shopping in peace." 

Champ ignored her and turned back to Waverly. "I saved a few boxes of the Choco-crunch bites for you. Figured you'd be coming in soon to get some. You should eat something healthy, too, though, so I put aside some vegetables and fruits." 

"Champ," Waverly said, "please stop this."

"Stop what, Waverly?" he asked. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Jesus Christ, Champ. Stop pretending like you care." Waverly gripped the cart until her knuckles turned white. Nicole put her hand on her shoulder. She used her body to push Champ a little so Waverly could get through. 

"Why don't you two keep going," she whisper. "I'll catch up in a second." She rubbed a hand over Waverly's arm. She gave her a smile and nudged her to get her moving. "Just watch her for a second," she whispered to Melanie who nodded in response. 

When they were safely to the end of the aisle, Nicole turned back towards Champ. "Listen here, Champ. Waverly is fine. She's keeping healthy. She's eating the right foods. Mostly. She gets craving, as you know, but we manage them. For whatever reason you decided that you finally care and while that's great, you can't see that it's hurting her and that's not great." 

"Stay out of our business." 

"Waverly's my business." 

"That's disgusting. I see the way you two are with each other. It's disgusting." He stepped closer to her. "Disgusting," 

Nicole ground her teeth together to keep from yelling. "Leave her alone, Champ. It stresses her out when you come near her and that's not good for the baby. If you want them to be healthy, leave Waverly alone." 

"Don't tell me what to do. They're my family, not yours," he yelled in her face. "I'm getting them back whether you like it or not." 

Nicole saw red. Before she could take another breath, her fist was connecting with his jaw and her knee with his groin. 

"Fuck you, Champ," she said as he bent over. "They don't belong to anyone. She doesn't want to be with you. Stay away from us." She turned to leave him there and found herself face to face with a shocked Waverly. She shrugged. "Sorry, Waves. I know it wasn't my place but I just -” 

"Shush." She grabbed Nicole's hand to look at her knuckles. They were turning red and she knew it probably hurt a lot. "Come on. Let's go home and get some ice on you." She held on to Nicole's hand and dragged her away from Champ. Melanie was waiting for them at the end of the aisle. 

When they got back to Nicole's apartment, Waverly grabbed the ice pack and made Nicole sit with it. The three of them sat in the living room in silence, Melanie on the sofa and Nicole and Waverly on the love seat. 

Melanie pretended to read a book but she watched them out of the corner of her eye. Every so often, Waverly would lift the ice pack off Nicole's hand to inspect it. She'd gently run a finger over the knuckles before putting the ice pack back. Nicole was leaning her head back with her eyes closed. Waverly was sitting with her legs up, facing Nicole and watching her. One hand rested on her stomach, in an almost protective manner. 

"We should get ready to go soon," Nicole said without opening her eyes. 

"Maybe you should call in sick." 

Nicole gave a short laugh. "Have to save the sick days, for when the kid keeps us up all night." She slid down and laid her head on Waverly's shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly. "I'm sorry for punching him. I didn't want to upset you but, he just wouldn't shut up." 

"I'm fine." She was more worried about Nicole. "Am I happy you punched him? No, not really." She reached up to play with the end of Nicole's hair. "But do I appreciate that you're willing to protect us? Absolutely." 

"You have my back. I have your back," she said, recalling their conversation from earlier that day. 

They sat quietly for a few minutes before Nicole dragged herself up to get ready for work. "We can leave in a few minutes. I put your bag in the guest room, third door on the left," she said to Melanie. 

\----------------------------------

When they got to the station, they split up into their respective areas: Nicole to her desk, Waverly to the BBD office, and Melanie to the visitor's chairs. Melanie tried to get more information about what was going on in the BBD office but no one seemed to be able to tell her much. That piqued her interest and she listened out to any information she could gather. 

She watched a man carry a giant box of donuts into the room and she wondered how many people were in there. All of the sudden, the door swung open again and a girl ran out of the room with the box. She stopped at Nicole's desk and shoved the box in her face. 

"I heard you punched Chump," Wynonna said. "You get the first choice of donuts today for being a goddamn hero." 

Nicole looked around to make sure no one heard Wynonna. She sighed in relief when she found the squad room empty other than Melanie. Looking back up at Wynonna, she smiled. She knew what it meant that Wynonna was willingly giving her donuts. She reached in and took the only chocolate sprinkled donut. 

"Thanks," she said. She gestured to Melanie. "Melanie this is Wynonna, Waverly's sister. Melanie's visiting for the day for work."

"Work?" Wynonna cocked her eyebrow. "What kind of work brings you to Purgatory?" 

"I'm a journalist. Needed Nicky's help with something."

"Nicky? Well, that's cozy," Wynonna murmured. Nicole kicked her under the desk. "Ouch, Red." Wynonna held the box out. "Want a donut?"

"No, thanks," Melanie replied. "I'm allergic to sugar."

"That sounds fake, but okay, suit yourself. More for me." Wynonna's eyes widened as she looked down at the box and pulled out a powdered donut. She turned back into the BBD office and shut the door behind her. 

"She seems … nice." 

"She's Wynonna. She's hard to describe." Nicole smiled to herself. "We love her anyways." 

"You seem to be building a life here." She stood to come sit at the chair next to Nicole's desk. "Okay if I sit here?"

"Sure," she said. She continued working while they talked. "It wasn't easy when I first moved here. But then I met the Earps. Everything happened quickly. I couldn't have asked for a better life, though." 

"You seem happy, for the most part."

"I am happy." Nicole smiled to herself. 

"Well I'm glad you're getting what you wanted in life." Nicole looked up and Melanie continued, "I'm just sorry I couldn't be the one to give you that life." 

"Mel, we wanted different things. That's okay. I wouldn't have been happy without it and you wouldn't have been happy if I'd made you do it."

"I'm happy Waverly can give you the life you want." Melanie put her hand over Nicole. "It's the life you deserve, Nicole."

"Waverly and I are just friends, Mel. She's as straight as they come." 

"Right. Sure, whatever you say." She leaned back in her chair. "Your feelings for her are clear as day. You look at her the way you used to look at me, except a thousand times stronger." She waited a moment for Nicole to respond. "And she looks at you the same way." 

Nicole snorted. 

"I'm not sure why you always had a hard time believing people wanted to love you. But they do. And Waverly? Nic, the rest of us wait our entire lives to have someone look at us like that. To have someone adore us that much." She sighed. "I know I don't have any place in your life anymore but I hope you tell her one day. And I hope you don't wait too long."

"Your opinion is valuable to me. How could it not be? We were important to each other once. Just because we didn't make it as a couple doesn't mean we didn't like each other." 

"I know. I regret it sometimes, that we weren't able to stay friends. You were one of the closest friends I've ever had in my life. And I'm sorry for hurting you as much as I did."

"If there's anyone who should be sorry for how it turned it, it should be me. I tried to push you into a life you told me you didn't want." 

Melanie opened her mouth to reply when the station exploded with gunshots. Nicole jumped up from her seat and pulled Melanie under the metal desk. She drew her firearm from her holster and concentrated on the where the sound was coming from. 

"Stay here!" Nicole took off in the direction of the BBD office. 

"We got this, Deputy. This room is classified," Dolls yelled from his position below the window. She clutched a weapon to his chest. 

Nicole scanned the room. Waverly and Wynonna were crouched in similar positions with weapons as well. "Like hell." She ran towards Waverly and crouched beneath the same window. The four of them stayed crouched through the next hail of gunfire. When it went silent, Dolls peered over the windowsill and gave them the signal. They raised their weapons to the men closing in on them and fired. Dolls took out three of them, while Nicole and Waverly hit two each. The last one got a shot off, though, and Nicole saw Waverly fall backwards, holding her side. 

"Waverly!" She let Dolls and Wynonna handle the remaining shooter while she dropped down next to Waverly. 

"I think I got a little bit shot." 

Nicole pushed Waverly's hands away so she could see it. She quickly stripped her shirt off and pressed it against the wound. "Waverly! Look at me," she demanded when Waverly's eyes started to roll back. "Hey, look at me. You're going to be fine. Baby's going to be fine. Just stay with me." She heard Wynonna and Dolls firing behind her and turned her head. "Is it clear? Can I move her?" When she got no reply, she yelled, "Answer me dammit! She's bleeding." 

Dolls threw his keys at her. "Go, it's out back. It's bullet-proof. We got you covered." 

Nicole picked up Waverly. As she rushed to the car, she prayed she hadn't just lied to Waverly. She prayed that Waverly was going to come back to her. 

"I'll drive," she heard Melanie yell at her. She didn't feel Melanie grab the keys from her and push her towards the car. Melanie helped her put Waverly in the backseat before going around to the driver's side. Nicole was still standing there when she turned the car on. "Nicole, come on!" 

Nicole shook her head and climbed into the backseat, slamming the door behind her. She threw her phone at Melanie with the directions to the hospital. "Go!" She lifted Waverly into her lap. She kept one are securely around her and used her other hand to press the soaking shirt into the wound. Waverly's head fell forward, into Nicole's neck. Nicole's heart was beating so fast at this point she couldn't hear anything over its thunder in her ears. 

She whispered comforting words in Waverly's ear all the way to the hospital. When Waverly's body started shaking, Nicole choked back the tears. "You're fine. You're going to be fine. I need you, Waverly. Please," she pleaded. "Please be okay." She couldn't keep it together anymore. Nicole pressed her forehead to Waverly's and tried to control her breathing. "We're almost there. We're almost there. Please hold on." 

Melanie pulled up the emergency room. "Take her. I'll park."

Nicole got out, still carrying Waverly and ran into the ER. "GSW, female vic, 21 years old, pregnant!" she yelled out to the nurse staff at the front. The quiet ER came to life. Someone met Nicole with a gurney and ordered her to put Waverly down on it. She gently laid her down, pressing a kiss to her cheek and whispering, "I'm here. I'll wait here. You're fine. Hold on." She squeezed Waverly's hand and kissed her cheek again while the nurse yelled at her to let go. 

She released Waverly's hand and watched them push her through the double doors. She was left standing in the middle of the ER, uniform shirt in hand soaked in blood, in Waverly's blood. Her hands and her undershirt, her pants and her shoes, were all splattered with Waverly's blood. 

Melanie found her standing there ten minutes later, staring at the double doors. She tried to force Nicole to sit down or to wash her hands. But Nicole remained standing there, watching the double doors. And she kept standing there until someone came out almost three hours later. She listened to the nurse talk to Wynonna. And then she sat down, right there in the middle of the room, and let the tears come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for that ending! Just know, I'm already working on the next chapter and I'll get it out as soon as possible.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for putting you all through that but I wrote it as quickly as possible. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for the support and the comments. I love coming on and seeing your reactions. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Waverly was released from the hospital a week later. Since she wouldn't be traveling to the BBD office for the near future, they decided it would be best for her to go back to the homestead. At least she would be safe there. Nicole brought her stuff back to her the next night, and brought Timmy along for a visit. Timmy wasn't happy on the ride over but once she climbed up into Waverly's lap, she purred and settled. 

"Hi, Nicole," Waverly said with a smile. She moved over on the bed and sat up straighter. "Come in, come in." Nicole sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to move the bed. "Come here, dummy. Hug me." 

Nicole laughed and kneeled on the bed to hug her. "How'd you do last night?" she asked when she sat back on her heels. 

She cuddled closer to Timmy. "I missed you guys. Got used to having you around." 

"Well this girl," Nicole said, stroking a hand over Timmy's head, "has really missed you. She slept on your clothes this week. We should probably wash all of it." She stroked Timmy's head again. "And I missed you, too." They smiled at each other. 

"Hey, can you help me change the bandage? I'd ask Wynonna but she went to meet Doc." 

"Of course." She stood up. Waverly pointed towards the bag on the dresser. Nicole picked it up and brought it back to the bed. "Alright, babe, you need to move so mama can fix up Waverly." She picked up Timmy, and with a kiss to the top of her head, set her on the floor. She purred and ran to curl up on the clothes Nicole had brought over. 

She helped Waverly sit forward so she could lift her shirt enough to change the bandage. Waverly put her hand on her stomach when Nicole took the bandage off. "Has she moved yet?" Nicole asked. 

"No," she replied sadly. Waverly hadn't felt the baby move since the shooting. The doctor had reassured her there was nothing wrong with her but Waverly wasn't used to her sitting still in there. Waverly moved her hand up and down, hoping it might wake her up or illicit a response. 

"Any day now. Right, darling?" she said to Waverly's stomach. "You're going to stop worrying your mom soon, right?" Nicole nodded once. "Yeah, she just told me she's been sleeping but she'll be ready to play soon. Don't worry." Nicole quickly cleaned the wound and re-bandaged it. "All fixed." They lowered Waverly's shirt and Nicole adjusted the pillows behind her so she would be comfortable. "So what would you like to do?"

"I want to know how the story ends. I was hoping you'd keep reading it to me." 

Nicole's eyes widened. "You heard me?" She had been certain Waverly was asleep while she was reading. 

"Well yeah," Waverly said, shrugging. "I liked listening to you."

"I thought you were sleeping," she admitted, the tips of her ears turning red. "You could have said something."

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew. If you're not comfortable with it, we can watch a movie or something." 

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck. "I'd love to finish reading it but I didn't bring the book." 

"I bought the series," Waverly said. She pointed to the box next to her closet. "I had Wynonna order them while I was in the hospital." 

Nicole took the first book out of the box and returned to the bed. She suggested they switch places so she wouldn't accidently bump Waverly's wound. They settled down in the bed and Nicole opened the book. Waverly picked up Nicole's arm so she could lay her head on her shoulder. Nicole let her arm rest against the pillows behind Waverly. 

"And, before I start, I just want to say I can't believe you've never read Harry Potter." She flicked through the pages until she found the page she left off on. Timmy hopped up on the bed and curled up between their feet. 

Waverly shrugged. "I must have waited this long so you could read them to me." She shifted onto her side so she was facing Nicole. "Hey, Nicole," she said quietly, "Can I ask you a question?"

Nicole looked down at her. "Of course." 

"So, Melanie. She seems, um, nice. Perfect, actually. I really liked talking to her and she's interesting." 

Nicole let out a soft laugh. "There a question in there, Waves?" 

"What happened?" she whispered. "I mean, you both seem to still get along."

Nicole turned the book over on her lap and sighed. "We just, well we wanted different things in life."

"What do you want?" Waverly asked. She searched Nicole's face. She didn’t want to open up old wounds but she was curious. When Nicole sighed again, she thought she might have overstepped. "You don't have to tell me."

"No, no, it's not that I don't want to tell you. I wanted kids and she didn't," she said with a shrug. "We were really happy together. She said she was never going to change her mind about it. It was a deal breaker for me." Nicole shrugged again. "I want kids. I always have. And I have to be with someone who wants them, too." She looked at Waverly. "Enough?" 

Waverly nodded and offered a small smile. "Now read." 

Nicole smiled and picked up the book to start reading. After 40 pages, she heard Waverly start to snore and she shifted to put the book down and turn off the lamp. She scooted down a few inches so her face was level with Waverly's. She cupped her hand under her head and watched her sleep. She hadn't slept well that week without Waverly next to her. Melanie had stayed an extra day to take care of her. But then she'd left and Nicole was alone again. She'd tried to stay at the hospital a couple nights but the nurses would find her and tell her to leave. 

She moved closer and put her hand on Waverly's hip. When she'd gone into the room for the first time after the surgery, Waverly was pale and she looked lifeless. She'd had an oxygen mask on her face and Nicole had been terrified walking towards her. Wynonna assured her the mask was temporary and that she was doing great. But Nicole's fear didn't subside until she came to the hospital the following day to find Waverly sitting up in bed and laughing with Doc. 

She felt it and gasped. "Waverly," she gently shook her shoulder. "Waverly," she said a little louder. 

"Hmm. What's wrong?" She reached out to touch Nicole's arm. 

"Waves, she moved." They put their hands on Waverly's stomach and smiled at each other when they felt her kick them a few times. 

\---------------------------------

Waverly was cooped up at the homestead for the rest of the month. Between Wynonna and Nicole hovering over her, she was about to strangle them. And they both knew it. Dolls had allowed Nicole to join BBD on a temporary basis so she could help them find out who attacked them at the station. It didn’t take long to realize that Dolls was the target all along. 

Nicole convinced Wynonna that it might be a good idea to get her out for a while. When she told Wynonna what she had in mind, she'd jumped into Nicole's arms and hugged her tightly. Nicole had laughed and said she thought it was a good idea too. She sent Wynonna off to get ready and to text Dolls to get ready. She said she'd be happy to take Doc too but she figured he wouldn't like it. Wynonna agreed. Nicole told her to get Waverly ready and she'd pick them up in an hour. 

Less than a half hour later, Nicole's phone buzzed. 

Wynonna: she doesn't want to go  
Wynonna: Apparently she has nothing to wear  
Nicole: I'm on my way. Keep getting ready. Tell Dolls to come there. 

And a few minutes later: 

Wynonna: OMG she's crying now. HALP 

Nicole put the finishing touches on her makeup and went out to her car. She headed out to the homestead, making one stop on the way. When she walked in, Wynonna told her Waverly was upstairs. She'd managed to stop the crying but had not managed to get her ready. Nicole sighed and walked up the stairs. She heard Dolls pull up as she knocked on Waverly's door. 

"Go away, Wynonna. I told you I don't want to go." 

"It's Nicole. I brought a peace offering." She opened the door and put the bag down just inside the door. 

"What is it?" she asked. 

"Why don't you open it and see?" Nicole said from outside. She heard Waverly gasp inside. "Do you like it?" 

"Nicole, I love it. Oh but no, I can't."

"You can, Waverly. Put it on. Let's go. We're going to be late."

"Where are we going? Wynonna wouldn't tell me."

"It's a surprise but I promise, you're going to love it. Now come on. I'll be downstairs with Wynonna. Get ready. Dolls is here, too." She went downstairs and found Wynonna sitting with a whiskey bottle. "Guess you're not driving." 

"Oh no, Red. This was your bright idea. You're driving." 

"Man, I spring for the private box and I still have to drive you out there." Nicole plopped down next to Wynonna and folded her arms over her chest. She didn't mind driving actually but she loved getting Wynonna excited about things. 

"Shut up! No way. Jesus, Haught, don't treat us too well, we might get used to it." She tipped the bottle back. Dolls walked in and sat down next to them. "Just waiting on Waves." He took the bottle from her and set it on the floor. "Hey. That's mine." 

"You'll thank me tomorrow when you remember this night." 

Waverly came down a few minutes later and Nicole held her breathe when she descended the stairs. Waverly looked like a damn mermaid princess. 

"Waves, you look great," Wynonna said. "So can we go now?" she asked Nicole. 

"You ready?" Nicole asked Waverly. 

"Ready." 

She drove them to Edmonton to see LANY. They all got excited when they saw how amazing the private box was and all the food that had been set out. Even Dolls smiled. Nicole had asked them to stock a bottle of whiskey as well. Wynonna hugged the bottle to her chest when she saw it. Nicole laughed and told her not to drink all of it.

"The show starts in about twenty minutes," Nicole told them. 

Wynonna took the bottle and went to sit in the front row of seats. They heard her moan as she sank down into the leather. "Oh my god. Can I live here?" She twisted the cap off the bottle and threw it over her shoulder. "Damn, Red, this is great. Thanks!" 

"You want some food to go with that?" Dolls asked. He loaded two plates with food and took one over to her. "Here, put something in that stomach other than whiskey, Earp." 

"Oo, pizza." She grabbed the plate from him and brought it to her face to sniff. She closed her eyes and grinned. "Oh this is the best night."

"Cool it, Earp," Dolls said. "Too much excitement." 

"Well one of us has be excited," she said as she lifted the pizza and took a large bite. He pressed the button on the side of the chair, converting his seat into a recliner. Wynonna's eyes widened and she handed him her plate so she could play with the buttons. Once she settled, she nestled the bottle under her arm and took her plate back from him. "You didn't eat any of it while you had it, did you?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. 

"Why did I agree to come?" he asked, rolling his eyes. 

"Because she needs a chaperone and I wasn't volunteering for the position," Nicole said, coming to sit next to them. Her plate was heaped with pizza, salad, chips, and sandwiches. "And don't tell me you didn't want to watch her," Nicole said, giving him a knowing smirk. He cleared his throat and looked away. 

"I thought I was hungry," Wynonna said with a snort, looking at Nicole's plate. "Where's Waverly?" She rolled over to look behind her. Nicole caught the whiskey bottle before it could tip over. "Baby girl, what're you doing?" Waverly was standing in the middle of the room, staring at the food, her arms crossed over her stomach. "You okay?" No response. 

Wynonna handed her plate back to Dolls and slid out of the chair without folding the recliner away first. Nicole and Dolls shook their heads as they watched her shimmy out of the chair, land on her feet and straighten from the awkward bent position. 

"Whatcha doing, Waves?" Wynonna asked her. "You feeling okay?" Waverly's eyebrows were drawn together and she was breathing shallowly. "Hey," she said, putting her hand on Waverly's shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Why'd she bring us here?" Waverly hissed out. 

Wynonna followed Waverly's gaze over her shoulder to Nicole. "Well, because she knows how much we like LANY." She turned back to face Waverly. "And you needed to get out of the house. Do you not like the surprise?" 

"I don't know what's going on. I'm just feeling, a little off." She didn't want to tell Wynonna she'd been having flashes back to the shooting, that she'd been trying to remember it because she felt like something had changed. She couldn't explain the shift that had occurred so she pretended it didn't exist. "I'm just going to eat something. Go back to them," she said, waving her hand towards to Nicole and Dolls. "I'll be there in a minute." 

Wynonna narrowed her eyes to study Waverly's face. Something was off but she couldn't put her finger on it. The lights dimmed in the room and she grabbed Waverly's hands, looking around. Someone came out on stage and greeted them. The stadium erupted in cheers and applause and the band was announced. 

"Come on, Waves. You don't want to miss this." She dragged Waverly towards the seats in the front. "Dance with me." She grasped Waverly's hands to dance with her. 

Nicole watched them out of the corner of her eye, smiling to herself. She could tell something was still bothering Waverly but she didn't know what to do about it. She figured she'd leave Wynonna to it. If Wynonna couldn't crack her, then she'd step in and try. Gradually, she saw Waverly relax. She saw a small smile creep into her lips. And before long, Waverly's entire face was lit up in a grin. It was the smile that pushed Nicole over the edge. She'd been waiting to see that smile again for the past few days. That's why she'd surprised her with this concert. Nicole's heart was pumping so fast as she watched them. She took a few sips of the whiskey to calm herself down. It didn't work. She resigned herself to the fact that Waverly would be the end of her. She was okay with it. 

Wynonna eventually made Dolls move so she and Waverly could sit next to each other. They held hands through a few songs. After a few songs, she leaned over and put her head on Waverly's shoulder. 

"I love you, Waverly," Wynonna said. "This is our first concert together." She wrapped her hand around Waverly's arm. "I hope you're enjoying it." Waverly leaned her head on top of Wynonna's and listened to the calming voice coming through the speakers. After a while, Wynonna felt hot tears hit her forehead and she squeezed Waverly's hand. "I'm here if you need me."

And suddenly it flooded back to Waverly. I'm here. I need you. Nicole's voice telling her over and over again that she was fine in the car. Nicole's hand holding her up. Nicole kissing her cheek under the fluorescent lights of the hospital. Nicole. 

She sat up suddenly, startling Wynonna. "I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back." She grabbed one of the door passes from the hook and left before anyone could ask to go with her. 

She wasn't gone more than twenty minutes but when she got back, she found Nicole alone in the suite. She walked over and sat in the empty seat next to her. Nicole turned her head and gave her a small smile.  
"Where'd Wynonna and Dolls go?" she asked. 

"Wynonna wanted to dance. Apparently there wasn't enough room in here." Nicole snorted. The suite was bigger than the Earp's living room. She knew why they didn't want to be in there. "Are you having fun?" 

"Yes. Thanks." The tightness was back in her voice and it wasn't lost on Nicole. 

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" she asked. 

"There's nothing bothering me," Waverly spit out. "I'm perfectly fine. Everything's changing in my life but that's fine. No one's asked if I'm okay with it. Which, for the record, I don't know if I'm okay with everything because no one will just leave me alone for a single minute. It's like, can everybody just stand still for one freaking minute?" Waverly let out a deep sigh. 

"Hey," Nicole said gently. She reached over a placed a hand on Waverly's arm. "It's going to be okay." Nicole withdrew her hand when Waverly turned her head and stared at her. 

"I just screamed at you," Waverly said. "You shouldn't be nice to me." 

"Yeah well I think you've just been dating too many shitheads." Nicole smirked. 

Waverly whipped her head towards to Nicole and scoffed, "We're not dating." 

"I know." Nicole looked at her. "God, Waverly. I would never ask you be someone you're not." She was frustrated that Waverly didn't know that already. She was frustrated that Waverly thought she was like everyone else. 

"Good, just don't ask me to be anyone at all." Waverly sat back. 

"Fine." Nicole didn't know what had just happened. She knew Waverly had been stressed out and bored, that's why she thought this might be a good outing for them. But she couldn't figure out what Waverly wanted and that was frustrating, too. 

"Fine." Waverly took a breath, and then softened her tone, "Well, maybe just friends." She stared at the band, avoiding eye contact with Nicole. 

"Yeah," Nicole scoffed, "sure Waverly, whatever you want." She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She stood up, picking up the bottle of whiskey Wynonna left behind. She moved further into the suite and laid down on the couch, covering her eyes with her forearm. The woman was a minefield that Nicole did not know how to safely cross. Whiskey seemed to help Wynonna deal. Nicole figured it might help her, too. 

Which is how Dolls found her, an hour later, passed out on the couch, empty whiskey bottle next to her. Waverly was sitting in one of the leather chair, as far away from her as possible. 

"Lover's tiff," Wynonna tried to whisper to him. Due to the whiskey and the beer she'd snuck while they were out, it came out at a much higher volume though. 

"Alright, let's get you three home." He picked up a bottle of water and walked to Nicole. "Haught, get up. Drink this." He tapper her shoulder with the bottle until she opened an eye to look at him. 

"You got red lipstick on your color," she said before closing her eye and turning over. 

"Haught, I'll open this bottle and pour it on your head if you do not wake up right now."

"Jesus, I'm up."

Dolls drove them back to the homestead, Wynonna in the passenger seat and Nicole and Waverly in the back. They sat as far from each other as possible. Nicole leaned her head against the glass and watched the night pass by. She'd wanted this night to be a break from all the stress they'd had since the shooting. All she was certain of at this point was that she was more miserable than she was before the concert, though. 

Dolls decided they should all stay at the homestead that night since Nicole was in no shape to drive. Dolls helped Wynonna into the house and up the stairs to her room. Nicole, on autopilot, started following Waverly up the stairs to her bedroom. Waverly stepped into the room and turned to the look at her. Without a word, she closed the door. 

"Guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight," Nicole said to herself, rubbing a hand down her face. 

\-------------------------------------

It was barely five o'clock when Nicole was awakened by a creaking sound. Despite the fogginess in her brain, her eyes shot open. She sat up and looked around. The house was still. She laid down again, praying sleep would come her way. The clock was ticking in the hallway, driving her crazy. 

"Ugh, fine. I'm up." She dragged herself up the stairs to brush her teeth. Since she had been spending so much time at the homestead recently, she'd left a few essentials around. She figured she'd get a pot of coffee going since she was up. Dolls would be up soon, too. When she walked into the kitchen, Waverly was there, standing in front of the coffee pot. "Good morning," she said hesitantly. 

Waverly turned to look at her. She didn't say anything, just stared at Nicole. 

The only thing Nicole knew was that she needed coffee if this was how the morning was going to be. She walked to the fridge to take the milk out. She turned to set it on the counter but found herself face to face with Waverly. Waverly took the container from her and set it down roughly on the counter.

"What is your problem?" Nicole asked. She was done with this. "I don't understand what's going on with you." And then she couldn't think at all. Waverly had grabbed her shoulder to pull herself up a few inches and crashed her lips to Nicole's. She pushed Nicole back against the fridge. Nicole's only defense was to grab Waverly's wrists and kiss her back. Jesus, Waverly was good at this. When Waverly grabbed Nicole's face, Nicole moved her hands down to Waverly's hips and tried to make space between them. Waverly tried to reconnect their lips and Nicole used what little willpower she had to hold her away. 

"What happened to friends?" she asked, breathing heavy. 

"You know what I've always wanted?" Waverly asked suddenly. She took a step back. 

"What?" Nicole asked, in confusion. She definitely needed coffee for this. 

"To parachute out of a plane at 15,000 feet. Yeah. To swim far, far out into the ocean so that I can't see the bottom anymore. To eat geoduck." She looked at Nicole like she expected her to understand what she was saying. 

Instead, Nicole's eyebrows drew together in confusion, and she asked, "Isn't that the one that kind of looks like a p-"

"Yeah, yeah it is," she interrupted. "Point is, I've always wanted to do things that scared me but, well, it's not so easy to be brazen when the thing you want, that scares you to death is right in front of you."

"I scare you?" Nicole said softly. She offered Waverly a soft smile because she suddenly understood Waverly's recent behavior.

"Yes," she sighed. "Yes you do. Because I don't want to be friends." She took a breath. "When I think about what I want to do most in this world, it's you." She saw Nicole's smile get bigger and felt like a fool. "Oh god, that sounded so much more romantic in my head." She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to regain composure. "It's just, uh, jump in anytime Nicole because I really, really don't know how to do this." She looked up at Nicole hoping she'd help her out of this. 

"Oh sure you do," Nicole said, her voice thick. 

"Maybe I should just stop talking." 

"See?" she said, taking hold of Waverly's hips and pulling her closer. Waverly's eyes widened. "You're getting better at this already." She leaned forward to kiss Waverly.

"Maybe you should stop talking, too," Waverly said, holding herself away from Nicole. 

"Well maybe you should make me." Nicole gave her a cocky grin. 

Waverly flicked her eyes down to Nicole's lips quickly before meeting her eyes again. Neither was sure who moved first but they were kissing again. Waverly tried to get closer to Nicole but couldn't. Nicole, sensing the struggling, picked Waverly up and set her on the counter. She stepped between Waverly's legs and ran her hand from her hip up to cup the back of her neck. Waverly wrapped her arm around Nicole's shoulder to bring her closer. This kiss was a race and they were both going to win. 

Nicole lifted Waverly's leg to wrap around her waist, gripping her thigh. She no longer needed coffee. The taste of Waverly and the feel of her moving against Nicole was enough. Nicole brought her hand up to Waverly's face and cupped her cheek. She pulled back from the kiss, not opening her eyes. 

Waverly slowly opened her eyes, confused by the lack of contact. She moved her hand up to run through Nicole's hair. Nicole sighed and rubbed her thumb across Waverly's lip before lifting her head by the chin to kiss her again. It was gentle this time. No one had ever kissed Waverly with such tenderness before. 

They smiled against each other's mouths, stealing a few more kisses. Nicole cupped Waverly's face with both her hands and kissed her deeply one more time. Waverly let out a giggle, resting her forehead against Nicole's shoulder. Nicole pressed her lips to Waverly's cheek before moving to her jaw. She placed an open mouth kiss against Waverly's neck and felt her shiver. She smiled and did it again. Waverly moved her head to allow Nicole more access. 

"Jesus, Nicole." She put her around Nicole's waist. "She's going crazy. I can't tell if she likes this or not." Waverly smirked. "But I sure hope she's fine with it because I'm going to be doing that a lot more."

Nicole lifted her head. She laid a hand on Waverly's cheek, rubbing her thumb back and forth. "How'd you sleep?" she asked suddenly.

"Well, my bed was a little cold and I kept wondering why I closed the door last night when all I wanted was to do this." She smiled. 

"Did you figure it out?" 

"No." Waverly pulled Nicole back to her for a hug. "I don't know. I'm sorry I made you sleep on the couch last night."

"Well you know how you could make it up to me?" she asked, turning her face into Waverly's neck. "Let's go lie down for a little bit. It's Sunday. We don't have anywhere to be." She felt Waverly nod. She took a step back, immediately missing the closeness of Waverly, and helped her off the counter. Waverly laced her fingers with Nicole's as they walked upstairs. 

They settled down in bed, Waverly's head on Nicole's chest. Waverly wrapped her arm around Nicole's waist and held her tight. Nicole played with Waverly's hair and listened to her breathe. She didn't know when things changed for Waverly but she was glad they did. They'd felt off for weeks and Nicole could finally breathe easier, knowing they were back to normal. Well, with a few additions. She pulled Waverly a little closer and pressed her lips to the top of her head. She stroked her hand over Waverly's side, where she knew Waverly had a scar from the shooting. A month ago, she thought she had lost Waverly before they had ever had the chance to be anything. She was so incredibly grateful they were getting this change now. She continued stroking Waverly's side until they both fell asleep, just as the sun was coming up over Purgatory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy?? 
> 
> :) 
> 
> I kind of hate writing kiss scenes because I always think they sound terrible when I write them. Kind of terrified to post this one but I'll do it for you guys.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet (I think). We're almost done. Just one more chapter after this - I'll try to get it up tomorrow. 
> 
> Happy reading :)

"Waverly, wake up," Wynonna said, gently reaching across Nicole to shake her sister's shoulder. "Waves." She shook her again. 

Waverly's eyes fluttered open. She was still tucked into Nicole's side and Nicole was sound asleep. "What's wrong, Wynonna?" she whispered, looking across Nicole to her sister. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Wynonna's face. 

"I think we both forgot that we invited Chump over today." Wynonna grimaced. "He called to say he'll be here in an hour." 

Waverly sighed. "Alright, we'll get up." She watched Wynonna leave before turning her head to look up at Nicole's face. Waverly took a minute to appreciate this moment. She traced her fingers lightly over Nicole's lips, resting her palm against her cheek. She sighed and snuggled into Nicole's neck. Nicole's arm reflexively tightened around her waist. She had been so afraid when Nicole walked into the kitchen that morning. But now, here they were. She hoped what was about to happen wouldn't change this or, worse, hurt Nicole. They were just starting their life together. Leaning up, Waverly pressed her lips lightly against Nicole's.

Nicole opened her eyes to see Waverly hovering above her. She drew light circles with her thumb on Waverly's hip. "Hi," she said, her voice husky with sleep. 

Waverly grinned down at her. Nicole's sleep-filled voice was one of the sexiest things about her - and there were a lot of sexy things about her. "Hi. Sleep better this time?" she asked, pressing a kiss to Nicole's jaw. 

"Hmm. Much better than alone on the couch." She groaned when Waverly bit her ear. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yes," she answered before pressing her lips to Nicole's. Waverly could get used to waking up to this. Her fingers grasped the ends of Nicole's hair as she pulled away. "I don't want to do this, but we have to get up. I owe you a cup of coffee. And I think you're going to need it." 

"Let's just stay here." She pulled Waverly closer again. "You're all nice and warm." She ran her fingers up and down Waverly's back. 

"Come on," she said sitting up. "I promise we can take a nap this afternoon if you want. But, um," she bit her lip, "Champ will be here soon." She felt Nicole flinch next to her and grabbed her hand. "It'll be fine. Wynonna thought it might be a good idea to talk about everything before the baby's born." She looked at Nicole. 

"I guess I should take that coffee to go then." 

"Well, I think you should stay. You're an important part of this conversation, whether you want to be or not." 

Nicole looked down at Waverly's stomach. They'd been through so much over the last eight months. She'd taken care of Waverly and the baby. She'd spent nights secretly wishing they were hers - that when Waverly had the baby, they wouldn't go back and live at the homestead, leaving her alone. They'd only kissed today but Nicole had already imagined an entire future with them. And she was in awe that Waverly thought she should be there for this. "I do want to be," she said finally. "Thank you," she said softly, on the verge of tears. 

Waverly saw her eyes mist over and pulled her up into a hug. "Hey. We're in this together, Nic. I promise." She held her close for a minute. "Now, come on. Let's get that coffee so we can shower." 

Nicole pulled away and smirked, biting the inside of her cheek. 

"Separately, Officer Haught." Waverly smacked her shoulder lightly. 

"That's temporary-Agent Haught, to you." She kissed Waverly's forehead and rolled out of bed. 

"Oo, that sounds," she paused, "hot." She fell backwards into a fit of giggles. When she could control herself, she got out of bed and grabbed Nicole's hand. When she started walking out of the room, Nicole stopped her. "What?"

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, Wynonna."

"I'm not afraid, Nicole. Unless you think it's too early to tell her."

Nicole shook her head and smiled. They walked down to the kitchen, hand-in-hand. When Wynonna turned to put Waverly's tea on the table, her eyes dropped to their linked hands and she smirked. 

"Fucking finally. I thought my niece was going to be married before you made a move, Red." Wynonna put the mug down and clapped her hands, running to them and pulling them both into a hug. 

\---------------------------------

Nicole observed the scene in front of her, leaning back against the counter with her arms crossed. Doc and Dolls had taken up similar positions against the wall closest to the Earp sisters, who were sitting at the table with Champ. Waverly had her hand firmly wrapped around her tea cup. Wynonna's hands were resting on the table and she was leaning towards Champ waiting for his response. 

"So what you're telling me is that I can come see her here three times a week?" 

"As long as one of us," Wynonna motioned to Waverly, Doc, Dolls, Nicole, and herself, "is here, then yes." 

"You're going to leave my daughter alone with one of them?" Champ asked, looking between Nicole, Doc, and Dolls. "They're not even related to her."

"They're family," Waverly said simply. "We trust them." 

"I don't," Champ said. "None of them. I don't agree to this." 

"Champ, if you want to be part of her life, we're giving you a way to do that." 

"No, this is bullshit." He slammed his fist down on the table.

Waverly looked at Wynonna. "Can you leave us alone for a minute?" 

Wynonna shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea." 

"It'll be fine." She looked at Nicole. "All of you." Nicole shook her head as well. "Just for a minute. Come on, get out of here." She motioned towards the door. 

The four of them hesitantly left Waverly in the kitchen with Champ. They went to the living room, in the hopes that they might still be able to hear something. But Waverly had dropped her voice down to minimum volume. Nevertheless, the four of them stood as close to the kitchen as possible, ready to move in if Waverly needed them. 

Fifteen minutes later, Champ came out looking glum. Without saying bye, he walked to the front door and left. The four of them looked at each other, confused. 

"He agreed to it," Waverly said from the doorway. They all turned to look at her, matching shocked expressions on their faces. She looked up at Nicole, linking their fingers together. "And he won't be trying to get back together with me anymore either." She squeezed Nicole's hand, hoping it was enough. She knew if Nicole had her way, Champ would never come near any of them, especially the baby. "Let's take a walk." She lead Nicole towards the front door. 

"But," Wynonna said, "Waves, how -" Dolls cut her off with a hand on her arm. "Never mind."

Waverly silently led Nicole out to the barn. She pulled the door closed and pushed Nicole back against it. After what she'd told Champ, she needed to kiss Nicole and prove to herself it was real. Nicole pulled her closer, tracing Waverly's lips with her tongue. Waverly tangled her hands in Nicole's hair, gripping tighter when Nicole started to pull back. "No." Waverly kept kissing her until her head spun and she couldn't breathe. She dropped down to stand flat on her feet, resting her hands on Nicole's chest. 

"Wow. Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?" Nicole clasped her hands together behind Waverly's back. 

"I didn't know I needed an excuse," Waverly said, smiling. She played with a loose thread on Nicole's sweater. "No, I just really wanted to do that after talking to Champ." She looked up at Nicole, cupping cheek. "After telling Champ." 

Nicole turned her head to press a kiss to Waverly's palm, never taking her eyes off Waverly's face. "What'd you tell him?" The remaining heat in her chest from the kiss was growing in anticipation. 

"That I love you." Slow smiles grew on both their faces. "That you're going to be an important part of this little girl's life because you're an important part of my life." 

"Baby, I -" Nicole leaned down and kissed Waverly again. This was real. This was their life. "I love you, too," she said against Waverly's lips. 

"You better." Waverly's hand curled into Nicole's sweater. "Can I tell you something silly?" she asked after a minute. 

"Always, Waves." Nicole tucked a few stray hairs behind Waverly's ear. 

"I think I fell in the love with you the first time we held hands," Waverly admitted. She stroked a finger across Nicole's jaw. 

"On the side of the road, right after your accident," Nicole recalled. She smiled remembering the night. "I felt it that night, too. It was like everything shifted after that moment." 

"It did, Nicole. That's the moment you became my future."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's an epilogue to wrap it up

~2 years later~

Waverly peeked her head into her daughter's room, expecting to find her still asleep. Instead she found her sitting up in bed playing with Timmy. 

"Mommy!" she squealed when she saw Waverly. She reached her arms out, indicating she wanted to be picked up. 

Waverly walked over to the bed and lifted her into her arms. "Good morning, sweetie." She kissed her forehead, brushing some hair off her face. "Did you have fun playing with Timmy?"

"Yes," she said, cuddling into her mother's chest. "I'm hungry, Mommy." 

"Well let's wake up Mama and eat breakfast then." She stood up with the toddler in her arms and carried her down the hall, stopping in the bathroom to brush her teeth. When they stopped in front of Waverly and Nicole's room, Waverly turned to the little girl. "Remember what I just told you?" The girl nodded. "Say it as loud as you can when I put you down next to Mama, okay?" The girl nodded again. Waverly walked into the room and set her down on the bed next to Nicole. "Go," she whispered, climbing up onto the bed next to them. 

"Happy an'versary!" she yelled in her mom's face. 

Nicole's lips turned up into a smiled but she kept her eyes closed. She felt the girl climb on top of her chest. 

"Mama," she said touching Nicole's face. "I said, happy an'versary. Wake up." 

"I'm awake, Winnie." Nicole opened her eyes and looked up at the little girl, giving her a big smile. "Good morning, pretty girl." Nicole ran her hand down Winnie's hair. "Did mommy tell you to say that?" she asked, tickling Winnie's stomach. Winnie giggled but managed to nod her head. When she stopped giggling, she laid down on top of Nicole. Nicole wrapped her arms tight around her, holding in place, and placed a kiss to the top of her head. 

Waverly laughed. Winnie's favorite place to lay down was always on top of Nicole. She couldn't disagree with her daughter on that. "I couldn't resist having her wake you up." She leaned down to give Nicole a kiss. "Happy anniversary, babe." 

"Hmm come back," she said when Waverly sat up. Waverly leaned down to kiss her again and smirked. 

"You taste like toothpaste."

"I heard this one yell for you and knew you'd be back soon." She smiled up at her wife. "Now give me more kisses." Winnie sat up and looked at Waverly, who grinned at her. Together they leaned towards Nicole and showered her face with kisses. Nicole giggled and held on tight to her daughter. "Happy anniversary, Waves."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU all so much for sticking with it through all these months. I have so much appreciation for all of you that took the time to read it and leave kudos and comments. It means so much to me. 
> 
>  
> 
> (For future fics, I've got a few things floating around in my head. But if you want to see something in particular, let me know! I love prompts. I'm thinking of doing a few one-shots and a couple of longer multi-chapter fics.)


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